Where Angels Fear to Tread
by CrazyAce'n'PokerFace
Summary: In a war-torn world of blood and darkness, will the two most opposite of people be able to unite their rival kingdoms, in order to defeat the man who threatens them all? Or will they kill each other first? A HitsuKarin, Vampire AU story.
1. Death Quietly Blooming

**Author Note: Hello, everyone! This is CrazyAce'n'PokerFace, bringing you another HitsuKarin fanfic. This time, the story is set in an alternate universe, and we've decided to combine our favorite plot devices: vampires and arranged marriages. So we'd like to acknowledge following authors and their stories for helping to inspire this story: GrnEydDvl, KazeNoSakura, the lioness, Pippin's Socks, and AngelCat HellFire. And I will say that the title of this story was something that I always wanted to use, but SebonzaMitsuki27 beat me to the punch, and that I hope she doesn't think that I'm copying her—I just really like the title. XD**

**Warning: Though the main pairing is HitsuKarin, there will be mentions of IchiHime, RenRuki, JintaYuzu, and a whole bunch of other couples. In addition, there will be violence and death and lots and lots of blood. If you don't like, don't read. Thank you. **

**We hope you enjoy the story! And please review! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. They belong solely to Tite Kubo. However, if there was an alternate universe where I do own Bleach, I will promptly give my left arm to switch with my other self. :)**

* * *

**Chapter One: Death Quietly Blooming**

* * *

**+++Karin+++**

* * *

The world consisted only of the sword in my hand and the enemy before me. There was nothing else—not the sounds of the battle raging around me, not the cries of the dying, and not the blood that stained the ground a hideous red. Only the enemy, his fangs bared in a twisted grin, coming towards me, hands outstretched—

—right before I cut off his head. Letting his corpse fall to the ground, I moved on to the next opponents, killing an additional three before a minute had passed. Pausing to look for more enemies, I grinned as another horde of vampires charged my way, and with the blood haze clouding my eyes, I could only make them out as targets to eliminate. Thrusting my sword into the ground before me, I lifted my hands and gathered the dark magic within me, letting it loose in a blast of black, shadowy fire that incinerated the twenty or so vampires attacking me.

When the last of their screams faded out, an eerie silence fell over the battlefield, and I dropped to my knees in exhaustion, the blood haze finally fading from my eyes. I could feel the irises changing from glowing scarlet to their usual black. Putting my hand to my head, I grasped my sword with the other and used it to pull myself upright, leaning against the sturdy but elegant blade for support.

"Lady Karin! Lady Karin, are you all right?!" screamed a worried voice. I lifted my head long enough to make out a human woman making her way towards me, a spear in her trembling hands. She was probably one of the villagers of Aravel, and unused to the bloodshed and death all around us. Scanning the area, I noted with regret that several of the buildings had been burnt down or demolished from the attack, and wished that I had been strong enough to prevent their destruction. Pushing aside the feelings of guilt and anger, I smiled reassuringly at the woman.

"I am fine, Mistress. You have no need to worry. I _am _a vampire after all. Even the weakest of us is a great deal stronger and faster than the average human, and I am far from being the weakest vampire," I said reassuringly.

"But even _you_ are not invincible, my lady," another voice replied. Looking for the newcomer, my eyes met the relieved yet disapproving hazel-eyed gaze of Neliel Tu Oderschvank, former Countess of Antera and current leader of the True Exiles residing in the kingdom of Karakura. She came over and put my arm around her shoulders, supporting me despite my protests. She smiled at the human and said, "You can leave now, Tsuruna. I will care for her. Tend to the wounds of the villagers."

Tsuruna nodded and bowed deeply, thanking me one last time before she left. As I watched her go, I quietly asked, "How many dead?"

"The Goddess of Night has blessed us this day. There were no casualties on our side, not even any of the humans, though some are severely wounded. The rest of our royal advance group has sustained minor injuries, but I would guess that you are probably the worst off out of all of us," she said reproachfully. She sighed. "My lady, how many times must I tell you to let us handle the worst of the intruders? I know you are powerful, but as second-in-line to the throne, you are too valuable to lose. And you _know_ using dark magic is too dangerous; you shouldn't have even—"

"I can't sit back and watch my people die, Nel! It's precisely _because_ I'm a princess of Karakura that I have to fight on the frontlines. If I'm not willing to die to protect my subjects, then I'm not worthy to rule them," I retorted, pain and determination filling my gaze as I stared at her.

Sighing once again, Nel nodded, conceding my point before speaking once more, "I know, my lady. But still, do _try_ to avoid going into the blood haze. You can kill more of our enemies, but while in that state you are far more vulnerable. And do _not_ use your dark magic—the risk is far greater than any temporary benefits, in more ways than one. As head of your Royal Guard, I beg you to please take fewer risks."

Closing my eyes, I gave her silence as my answer. Shaking her head, she then sent a telepathic signal out to the rest of the royal advance group. Within seconds, they were gathered in a circle around us, ready to shield me from more danger. For they weren't just any advance group; they were my personal Guard, a team of five warriors charged to protect me until either they or I perished, and they would do anything to make sure that it was the former. They were the best of the best, as only the most powerful and loyal people in the kingdom were entrusted with a royal's life.

Jinta and his older sister, Ururu, were the adopted scions of Urahara House. Jinta stood before us now, his back to me, his lance in his hand, the blood dripping off it the same shade as his hair. His vampire ability was incredible strength, and I could tell that he had used it to our advantage today. Ururu was to my left, calmly holding her palms out in front of her, letting her crackling aura send the message of danger. Her black hair was tied into two pigtails, a surprisingly innocent style for one who was so deadly, as she was a second-degree mage capable of leveling entire cities.

Chad Yasutora, Clan-Lord and Alpha over all the werewolves, stood to my right, his large frame looming over us. His gentle, brown-eyed gaze scanned the surrounding areas for threats, and a golden charm around his neck gleamed in response to his aura, contrasting with his deeply tanned skin. He was one of my brother's best friends, and had originally formed a part of Ichigo's Guard until I started going into battle and my brother asked him to watch over me instead. His steady presence had often soothed me in times of trouble, and his enormous strength had saved me more than once. In this case, I was grateful for Ichigo's protectiveness.

Flying above us in winged form was Ulquiorra Schiffer, his piercing green eyes currently closed in concentration as he was preparing to see into the future. Ulquiorra was Nel's second-in-command and also a True Exile. As a seer, his powers were extremely rare for a vampire and highly valued, and he and Nel made up the deadliest part of my Guard. Staring down at Nel, he nodded once, almost imperceptibly, signaling the go-ahead to return home. No more rogue vampires would attack this town for at least a month.

Nel, the statuesque, green-haired leader of my Royal Guard, sighed in relief and promptly started carrying me towards a carriage that the villagers had provided for us. As I balked at the contraption, she glowered menacingly at me.

"Don't you dare say that you are capable of running home! In your state, we'd be lucky if you managed to make it to the outskirts of the village," she said.

Muttering in complaint, I nevertheless knew when she was right, and clambered into the carriage, Nel and Ulquiorra getting in after me. I could sense Chad climbing onto the driver's seat and communicating soothingly to the horses, and Jinta and Ururu stationing themselves at the back of the carriage. Soon we were making our way back to Kurosaki Castle.

As I surveyed the green landscape of my country, I thought back to the carnage inflicted on the village we had just left, a small outpost on the very edges of our northern border. They'd escaped mostly unharmed, but other villages and towns were not so lucky. Thinking of the blood of innocents spilled and once-welcoming homes ravaged, my hands tightened as I pictured the man responsible for it all.

Sousuke Aizen. The vampire who wanted to rule all of Enalma.

* * *

Enalma is the name of our continent, and by extension our planet, as it is the only landmass that exists. Vaguely circular in shape, Enalma is an ancient land peopled by two races: vampires and humans. In the beginning, humans lived to serve their vampire overlords, as vampires were far more powerful, and their lack of numbers was made up for by their excess of strength.

All vampires, even the weakest, are born with incredible speed, fearsome strength, the ability of telepathy, the power of regeneration, and a mysterious sixth sense. We call these the Five Gifts of the Goddess. Each vampire has a particular gift that is dominant. More powerful vampires, such as those that make up my Royal Guard, are blessed with additional abilities, like Ulquiorra's gift of prophecy, or vastly enhanced Gifts, like Jinta's monstrous strength. Some vampires possess both, like my brother Ichigo. He has both unbelievable strength and the gift of elemental magic, that of lightning. Vampires are also difficult to wound, impervious to most diseases, and possess incredible longevity, the average lifespan being two hundred years.

With powers like these, the humans of old didn't stand a chance, and were virtual slaves to their vampire masters. However, approximately one millennium ago, a few vampires came to care for their human vassals, discovering also that those especially close to us, the ones we fed from, had developed powers and gifts of their own, similar to the vampires. These humans, called familiars, even lived longer than average. Some vampire masters wanted to liberate their familiars and treat them as equals. The other vampire lords objected, resulting in a catastrophic civil war that nearly eradicated both sides.

Eventually a truce was reached, with the leaders of the two sides deciding to divide the country. The west became the kingdom of Karakura, ruled by the Kurosaki House and those vampires who wished to live in peace with all humans, including witches and werewolves.

The east half became Seireitei, ruled by the Hitsugaya House and the other vampire nobles, though oddly enough after the war they treated their humans more kindly. Perhaps this was because during the war both sides were forced to depend on and work with their human slaves, strengthening the bond between them.

To the north, in the Great Deserts, lived a group of vampires who had refused to join either side, as they had no humans under their control due to the hostile nature of their land. This land eventually became known as the Land of Exiles, home to the most independent and wildest of all the vampires. Humans were welcome, but only if they could survive.

In the end, there was not much difference between the three lands in the way their humans were treated. Rather, it was the customs and culture that were radically changed. Karakura became known for its diversity and innovativeness, while Seireitei was known for its strict traditions and its works of art, and the Land of Exiles became surprisingly popular as a center of learning.

The governments also differed, with Karakura's government being a loose coalition of different areas all vaguely bowing down the Kurosaki throne—in truth it was more like a democracy than anything else. Seireitei was more like a tightly run kingdom, with one Emperor and ten noble Houses supporting him. The Land of Exiles didn't really have an overarching government, with each estate's laws set by the noble who ruled it. But despite their differences, for many years the three countries were able to live side by side in relative peace.

At least until around thirty years ago, when Sousuke Aizen, head of a minor noble house, attempted to kill Genryuusai Hitsugaya, Emperor of Seireitei. Aizen was promptly banished into the Land of Exiles, where he proceeded to take over, throwing out the vampire nobles who resisted, including Nel and Ulquiorra. Those who joined forces with him were allowed to stay in what was now known as Hueco Mundo, which Aizen ruled from the city of Las Noches. Nel and those like her swore to regain their homeland, scattering to both Seireitei and Karakura, calling themselves the True Exiles and branding those who had submitted to Aizen as traitors.

The land had settled once more into an uneasy peace, both kingdoms watching Hueco Mundo in wary expectation. A year ago, Aizen made his first serious move: he unleashed an army of created vampires.

I can't express the horror of this. Vampires are few in number, and it's extremely difficult for us to have children. Most mated pairs can't even have a child until both partners have passed their half-century mark and reached full maturity of their powers. Even then, they're lucky to have a single offspring. More powerful vampires can have more children, which is why the noble Houses wield such power, because they have both abilities and numbers on their side.

Even rarer are half-vampire, half-human children, which we call the Vaizards. They have equal strength to those of vampires, but can mate with either humans or vampires. What their offspring will be depends on who they marry. Those that marry vampires have vampire children, and those that marry humans give rise to semi-gifted humans, those blessed with a trace of vampire blood and abilities. These are similar to the human familiars, and both kinds of humans are often entrusted to serve vampires. If a Vaizard marries another Vaizard, then the child is destined to inherit the powers of both parents, making him or her extremely powerful. The Vaizards have an estate in Karakura, and actively participate in our government-they're an asset to our army and a force to fear.

But the rarest of all, even more difficult to find than a Vaizard, is a human-turned-vampire. Humans cannot withstand our venom, and unless the bond between the vampire and his human is especially close, the human will die during the transformation. But somehow, Aizen has found a way to turn humans into vampires without killing them, resulting in a huge army of bloodthirsty, Gifted vampires. This army spells doom for the world as we know it.

A year ago, Aizen began attacking Karakura's borders with his abominable army, seeking to weaken us by attacking our vulnerable human towns, knowing that we would do anything to defend them, and planning to take us over once we can no longer fight.

His scheme is succeeding. Though Karakura's army is strong, it's mostly human and no match for a horde of vampires. Within five short years, we will fall.

Unless Seireitei forges an alliance with us.

* * *

Hours after leaving Aravel, I looked out the carriage window towards Karasu, our capital city. Even though night had now fallen, with my eyes I could still make out the faint skylines of Kurosaki Castle.

I held my breath in anticipation. Today was the day that Uryuu Ishida, heir to the Duke of Quincy and one of my brother's friends, was scheduled to return from his visit to the eastern kingdom. A visit that would determine whether or not Seireitei would join forces with us. A visit that would determine whether or not our kingdom lived or died.

Closing my eyes, I breathed a quick prayer to the Goddess to let the answer be yes. I didn't care what we had to give, so long as it meant that Seireitei would agree and my kingdom and my people would be saved.

As the carriage pulled into the palace courtyard, I could see a golden blur running outside, followed by five shouting people. Beside me, I could feel Nel tense up slightly before relaxing once she recognized who the "threat" was.

My twin, Yuzu.

As I stepped out of the carriage, standing on now-stable legs, she threw herself at me, hugging me in relieved happiness. Her sweet, clean scent, that of honey and lavender, assailed my senses, and I breathed in deeply, letting go of my cares and burdens for a few precious seconds.

"You kept your promise again," she whispered. "You came back home."

Smiling sadly, I felt her clutch me tighter, and replied, "Of course I did, Yuzu. I'll always come back home to you."

Nodding slightly, she released me with a teary smile, stepping back to survey the damage I had taken. As she perused my bloody clothes and sword, I winced when I noticed that I had stained her white silk dress with patches of red. Darkly, I wondered how my actions and very self must stain her soul even more. Catching the whisper of my thoughts, she replied through our mental connection, _You could never taint me, Karin. Don't forget that._

Biting my lip, I just shook my head as she raised her hands to my face and stared at me until I knew without a doubt that even if I would drench her in a deluge of blood, she would still rather be by my side than anywhere else.

Well, nearly anywhere else. Jinta stepped forward with a longing look in his eyes, and she gave me one last smile before running straight into his arms, letting him bury his face in her hair and whisper how much he loved her. Watching them for a second, I was then pulled into a group hug by the five people who'd followed Yuzu outside, her Royal Guard: Ryohei, Kazuya, Pinta, Donny, and Kon. They were all eagerly congratulating me on my safe return, happy to see that I was home safe and sound, before deserting me to wish Jinta the same greeting.

Exchanging amused glances with Ururu, I noted that she'd gently taken hold of Chad's hand. I gave the two of them a small nod of dismissal, allowing them to return to their quarters and clean up. Turning around to similarly dismiss Nel and Ulquiorra, I found my two most devoted Guards placing their hands firmly around my arms, walking me up the stairs to the palace entrance.

"What in the Night are you doing?!" I exclaimed.

"Making sure you see Her Royal Highness, Orihime of the Vaizards, High Priestess and wife to His Royal Highness, Ichigo, Prince of Karakura and Heir to the Throne," Ulquiorra stated blandly.

I rolled my eyes at his insistence at using the entirety of my sister-in-law's title, saying, "You know Hime hates it when you call her that, and besides, I'm fine. I don't need her to heal me."

"Liar," said Nel, ignoring my squirming. "If you were fine then you'd be able to escape our grasp without any trouble, but as you cannot, it is obvious that you are too weak to be left by yourself, my lady." Affection softening her gaze, she glanced down at me as she continued, "Ulqui and I have been taking care of you and Yuzu since you were babies. We know that if we let you out of our sights, you'll head straight to the training grounds, wounds or no."

Unable to deny the truth of that, I scowled and said, "Well, can Ulquiorra at least go and check if Uryuu has come back?"

"He has, my lady," replied Ulquiorra.

"What!?" I yelled. "What do you mean he's back? When? No, forget that—what did Seireitei say?"

"He came back this morning, shortly after we left to defend Aravel, my lady. And you would have known of his return if you'd been strong enough to receive long-distance telepathic messages," Ulquiorra replied, completely ignoring my other question.

"Your father has called an Assembly meeting with only the High Council present, plus Ichigo and Uryuu," Nel murmured. "They're currently in session, discussing the impact of Seireitei's message."

"But what did they _say_?" I hissed.

"I do not know, my lady," Neliel replied quietly. "We can only wait until the meeting is adjourned, and then they'll tell us. Even Ichigo wasn't initially present to hear their answer. Uryuu was the only Second Council member who knew at first, and that's only because he was the one we sent as delegate."

"Patience, my lady," Ulquiorra said. "The answer cannot have been too terrible, otherwise we would already be manning the gates and sending messengers to recruit soldiers for the army."

Comforted somewhat by their logic, I let them lead me to the west side of the palace, until we stood in front of Orihime's room. Upon opening the door, we found my beautiful, gentle sister-in-law already extending her hands, a globe of golden energy between them, her aura flaring with the force of her power.

Smiling gently, she walked forward as Nel and Ulquiorra stepped away from me, until the orb hit the center of my chest and was instantly absorbed. Within seconds I was fully healed, my energy boosted. Gasping slightly from the shock of her power, I inhaled deeply as Orihime pushed me down onto a nearby chair, then pulled me into a long hug, gently reaching out with her mind to say, _Welcome home._

For a minute we stood like that, just a girl and her older sister, before reality intruded and I remembered that I was Lady Karin Kurosaki, First Mage of Karakura and second-in-line to the throne, blessed with enhancements of all Five Gifts as well as the power of dark magic. And Lady Karin never cried or showed weakness.

Pulling back, I could see Orihime smiling in sorrowful understanding. Well, of course she would understand. She was the High Priestess, after all, servant of the Goddess, granddaughter of the Earl of Ushoda, Hachigen Inoue, and third-generation Vaizard. Not to mention that she was married to Ichigo, which was definitely a testament to her strength and patience. She was incredibly powerful, possessing three generations' worth of vampiric abilities, including healing, prophecy, and the ability to turn her aura into impenetrable shields. She was responsible for the defense of Karasu and all its inhabitants. She knew what it was like to have the weight of a country upon her, and I wished that I could carry my own burden with even half her grace.

Looking at me with wide, gray eyes, she said, "Uryuu has returned. Ichigo has just been summoned to hear his message. In an hour they will call the rest of us to join them, and we shall know the fate of our country. Meanwhile," and here her eyes softened even further, "you are going to get out of that armor, take a bath, and remember that there's more to life than bloodshed and darkness, even for a vampire princess."

Pressing a kiss to my forehead, she stood up and bowed to Nel and Ulquiorra, who bowed back, looks of fervent gratitude on both their faces. Leaving the room, their presence was replaced by that of Yuzu's, who had a set of black clothes in her arms and a determined tilt to her mouth.

Knowing I was cornered, I let them drag me into the wide bath and relax for half an hour, then pulled on the simple black blouse and black pants before putting Elegia, my vampire blade, across my back. Orihime and Yuzu, both in elegant dresses, Yuzu in gold and Orihime in white, stepped forward and held out their hands. For a quick moment, we bowed our heads in prayer to the Goddess, asking her to protect our country.

Night knew, we would need her intercession.

* * *

A few minutes later, we stood in the Grand Chamber, called to an Assembly meeting consisting of all the Councils. In the right-hand half of the room sat my father, King Isshin.

By his right side stood Ryuuken Ishida, Duke of Quincy and Commander of the Royal Archers.

To his left sat Lady Yoruichi Shihoin, former noble of Seireitei and current Grandmaster of Spies.

Lord Kisuke stood behind her, head of Urahara House and brilliant inventor and tactician.

Lord Shinji Hirako, leader of the Vaizards, stood across from him, and behind him sat the other Vaizard nobles, as well as Nel and Ulquiorra.

A seat directly to Isshin's right was left empty to signify my deceased mother, Queen Masaki.

These people formed the High Council of Karakura, the ruling body of our kingdom.

Across the room, paralleling the formation of the opposite side, the Second Council sat at an identical table. Ichigo was sitting down, his hands clasped in front of his face in a brooding manner. Orihime took the seat directly to his right, and smiled at the woman on his left, Tatsuki Arisawa, head of the Palace Guard.

To Ichigo's right stood Ishida Uryuu, blue eyes inscrutable behind his spectacles, dark hair framing his angular face; Chad stood behind him, his aura as calm as always.

Beside Tatsuki was Lord Renji Abarai, the only natural human-turned-vampire currently living in Karakura. His hand gripped the edge of his sword tightly, ready to defend Ichigo's life even here in the safest of places. Flanking him on either side was the last of Ichigo's personal Guard, Keigo Asano and Mizuiro Kojima.

Yuzu and I walked down the space between the two groups, making our way to where the other members of the Third Council sat, including Jinta, Ururu, Ryohei, Kazuya, Pinta, Donny, Kon, and even Nel's loyal vassals, Pesche and Dondechakka, in addition to a few heads of minor Houses. I took my place at their center, sitting in the seat that designated me as their leader and second heir to the throne.

As soon as I was seated, my father sighed and spoke: "Seireitei has agreed to the alliance."

The majority of the room erupted into cheers, but I noted with some apprehension that Ichigo, Uryuu, and the High Council were keeping their peace. I directed a questioning look towards my brother, my heart faltering as he met my gaze then looked away, as if in pain.

My father began speaking again, and the ecstatic cheering subsided.

"There is one condition, however," my father gravely intoned. "They wish to solidify the alliance with a blood bond, and propose marriage between someone of our choosing" —here he paused, as if getting the words out was taking great effort—"and the heir to the throne, His Royal Highness, Toushirou Hitsugaya."

As the room was filled with shocked whispers, wondering why Seireitei would force such an important person to marry someone from Karakura, my father turned to look directly at me, and spoke the words that would change my life forever:

"Lady Karin, we have chosen you."

* * *

**Endnote: And that's the end of chapter one! Sorry for all the background information contained in this chapter, I really wanted to get it out of the way. I hope it didn't bore you too much, and that you still enjoyed the story. And for those of you who are asking, "Where's Toushirou?" I promise that he'll make his appearance in the next installment! Please review and tell us what you think! :)**


	2. Tears of the Innocent

**Author Note: Hello, everyone! This is CrazyAce'n'PokerFace, welcoming you to our latest HitsuKarin fanfic! Thank you for joining us for the second installment of "Where Angels Fear to Tread"! We'd like to thank anyone who's read this story thus far, especially those who have alerted, reviewed, and/or added this story (or us) to their favorites list. The following is a list of these amazing, wonderful, beautiful, and insert-positive-adjective-here people: Turtle-chan in blue, animerocks30, fluco99, meggie-moo s, anna1594, darkness surrounds me, Moon of Jupiter, duckreb, neko-koo, Ash-chan13, Shizuku700, SilverDragonEyeCardSpiritWolf, Soul-Searcher16, Fushigi yuki, self-is-illusion, and blackpanther340. Lots of love and gratitude goes to them, and to anyone who's read this story. :D **

**Warning: Though the main pairing is HitsuKarin, there will be mentions of IchiHime, RenRuki, JintaYuzu, and a whole bunch of other couples. In addition, there will be violence and death and lots and lots of blood. If you don't like, don't read. Thank you. XD **

**We hope you enjoy the story! And please review! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. They belong solely to Tite Kubo. However, if there was an alternate universe where I do own Bleach, I will promptly give my left arm to switch with my other self. :)**

* * *

**Chapter Two: Tears of the Innocent**

* * *

**+++Karin+++**

* * *

When I was young, I once climbed to the very top of the highest tree in the Palace gardens, partly because Ichigo said I couldn't, and partly because I wanted to see what the sky felt like. The climb was long and arduous, but through sheer stubbornness I made it to the top. The view there was amazing—the tree was swaying gently with the wind, the sun was blazing forth with golden light, and the sky was the clearest, purest blue you could imagine. Everything on the ground was so tiny and far away, and the bustling movements and cheerful din seemed but a dream.

I remember closing my eyes and stretching out my hands to try and feel glorious softness of the clouds—and fell straight down instead, all sixty feet of the distance. The air was knocked right out of me, and I couldn't breathe or scream or even move. Then the pain came, sharp and piercing, all over my body. As I lay there, Nel and Ichigo frantically trying to help me, I couldn't help but wonder: how on earth was I so free and happy one minute, and so pained and miserable the next?

I felt like that now, as if I had fallen and my body was broken, as if my lungs had collapsed, as if I was dying. All around me, the room was in chaos, people shouting denials and protests and some even weeping…but all I could do was stare at my father, frozen in shock.

Dazed, I wondered if he was having the same nightmare I was, and watched him slowly close his eyes and shudder, his face a mask of pain. My hands tightened on my chair, the nails digging into the wood, and I knew that I was trapped, panic and disbelief rising within me like a wave of darkness.

"Silence!" commanded Ryuuken Ishida, his voice cutting through the cacophony like a double-edged sword. Quiet fell, broken only by the sound of muffled weeping. Who was crying? Was it me? No, it was Yuzu, her shoulders heaving as she buried her face in her hands. I stretched out my hand to comfort her, and it was a hairsbreadth away when my father began to speak.

"Leave us. All of you," he said. "Only the High Council may stay if they wish." The people started shouting once more. "Now!" he ordered.

At this, the room began to slowly empty of people. Most of the Third Council was first to leave, as well as the Vaizard lords, shooting me pitying looks as they walked out the door. Yuzu and her Guard stubbornly stayed behind, as well as Jinta, Ururu, and all of the Second Council, their eyes trained on both me and Ichigo.

"Karin," whispered Yuzu, reaching out to me.

"Go," I replied. "Just go for now. I'll talk to you afterwards." My hands stayed clenched together on my lap. I looked at Jinta, and he put his arm around my twin's shoulders, gently leading her away. She went with him, but turned back to look at me, her eyes wide and fearful. Her Guard followed obediently, each of them touching my left shoulder in a sign of solidarity as they left. Ururu walked to Chad's side, and they bowed once to me before exiting the room, Mizuiro, Keigo, Renji, Uryuu, and Tatsuki close on their heels. Ichigo was still sitting down, Orihime beside him.

"Ichigo," my father began.

"No," he said in a low voice. "I'm not leaving her." Orihime nodded in silent agreement.

"Very well," my father sighed. He turned to me, opening his mouth and then closing it again, staring at me instead. The look on his face…it was the same look he had when my mother died. I couldn't bear it, knowing that this time the sorrow in his eyes was there for me, that he was truly giving me away in marriage to a stranger. "Karin—" he began.

"You can't!" I cried in anguish, my sudden shout shattering the relative stillness in the room. "You can't send me away!"

I stood up, knocking my chair over, glaring at my father, the paralyzing sense of fear gone from my body as it was replaced by anger and adrenaline. I spoke quickly, passionately, "This is madness, Father! I'm our First Mage! One of our strongest warriors! I'm needed here to protect our people. For their sakes, you must refuse Seireitei!"

"For their sakes, I _must_ send you!" he interrupted. "Think, Karin! Do you think I _want_ to marry you off? Goddess help me, you know I have always hoped that _all _of my children would eventually find the kind of love your mother and I had. But times have changed, and that choice is no longer ours to make. We are at war, Karin!"

"I know that!" I screamed. "Out of nearly everyone here, I know that best! Haven't I fought off countless of Aizen's soldiers? Haven't I risked my life over and over again on the frontlines, defending our kingdom? You know that! You know that you can't afford to lose me, not now."

Helplessly, I held my hands out towards him, pleading for understanding. He simply looked away and resumed speaking.

"I know, Karin. I know what I have forced you to sacrifice. I know the innocence you've lost, fighting for our people. But it is for them that I ask you to make the greatest sacrifice yet. We need this alliance, Karin. Uniting our forces is the only way Aizen can be defeated. Remember the battles you've been in, the soldiers we've lost. Can you honestly say that we can win _without_ Seireitei's aid?"

I glared at him, unable to deny the truth of what he said. Through gritted teeth, I managed to say, "Then send_ someone else_. Or better yet, refuse the marriage altogether."

"I'm afraid that that is not an option, Lady Karin," interjected Lord Urahara, or Uncle Kisuke, as I knew him. "The fact is, they do have a very good point in demanding that we seal the alliance with a blood bond: family ties are much harder to break than political ones. So we can't refuse the marriage proposal. It would be an insult of the highest degree, not to mention bloody stupid. And we can't send anyone else _but_ you, Lady Karin. Unless you would have us send your sister?"

"No!" I shouted. I hadn't considered that they might have chosen Yuzu instead. Shaken, I turned to my brother.

"We wouldn't send Yuzu," he said gruffly. "She's not suited to the task. She's far too delicate."

"Besides," Orihime seconded gently, "she's already bonded to Jinta. But Karin, I'm afraid we can't send anyone else, either. You are the only other woman of high enough rank to marry Toushirou Hitsugaya." She turned to Uncle Kisuke, nodding slightly to let him continue.

"Indeed. You see, in a rather clever and unexpected move, Seireitei has offered the hand of their Crown Prince in marriage. I'm sure you're aware that this is highly unprecedented, as members of the imperial family have traditionally always been allowed to choose their own mates, _especially _the heir to the throne. In letting him marry someone of _our_ Royal Family, they are signifying that they consider us their equals and would be willing to mix their blood with ours. In letting us choose his bride ourselves, they are expressing their trust in our judgment and honor. We are obligated to provide him with a wife that is of equal status and power, someone who is worthy of becoming their future Empress," Lord Urahara finished.

"Of course, it's also a damned devious tactic," said Lord Ryuuken. "They've made sure that they'll gain a powerful new princess to continue their bloodline, while simultaneously weakening us by forcing us to sacrifice one of our best warriors. So just in case we renege on the alliance, they have a convenient hostage who also happens to intimately know our every weakness. It's a brilliant ploy to ensure that they have the upper hand in this partnership of ours."

My eyes widened as I grasped the implications of his words, but my father merely sighed and covered his eyes, saying, "Ryuuken, this is exactly the kind of mistrust and suspicion that we need to avoid if we are to defeat Aizen. We cannot afford to doubt our allies' motives, and even if their intentions are not as noble and pure as they would have us think, I choose to believe that they are acting in the best interests of all of Enalma, just as we are."

Lord Ryuuken gave a snort of derision but kept his peace, and Lady Yoruichi took the chance to speak.

"I agree with Kisuke and Isshin. This marriage will help solidify the alliance and promote unity between the two countries. Karin," she said, looking directly at me, "you are to be the bridge between a chasm that is centuries old. While our kingdoms have lived side by side in relative peace for a thousand years, relations have never been exactly friendly, either. This is the chance to mend old disputes and forge new connections, connections that would benefit both sides.

"Above anyone else in this country, I have faith that you alone can achieve this. You are kind, intelligent, loyal, and fiercely passionate. You care greatly for your family and friends, and would do anything to protect your country and your people. In essence, you are a fine example of everything that is good and right in our kingdom.

"In addition to all these qualities, you are a princess of Karakura. You've been raised to be politically savvy and trained to lead a country practically from birth. We will be sending you into a potentially hostile land, where you will be unfamiliar with many of the customs and traditions. We trust you to handle this pressure and navigate your way through the political hurdles and intrigues present at court, and to use your influence to benefit both Karakura and Seireitei.

"But the best quality you possess is that of a warrior's heart. This endeavor will be fraught with danger; Aizen is certainly not beyond destroying the alliance by having you assassinated. Add in the usual nobles' threats and plots, and you are guaranteed an attempt on your life at least once a week. You will need all the skills at your disposal to keep yourself and our hopes alive.

"But more than that, you need to be able to fight back and show them what you're made of. You cannot break, Karin, and you must do whatever it takes to overcome their opposition to you as an outsider and carve a place for yourself in Seireitei. It'll be difficult; I should know, I'm from Seireitei myself. But I think that you're _exactly_ what they need. You are determination and fire and passion, and you'll turn their strict, no-nonsense world upside down, starting with that prince of theirs. You, my dear," Yoruichi said, standing up and taking my hands in hers, "will be the best empress that they have ever seen. Don't forget that, Karin."

Tears pricked at the back of my eyes, and mutely I turned to each person in the room: Uncle Ryuuken, Uncle Kisuke, Nel, Ulquiorra, Orihime, Ichigo, and finally my father. Reflected in their eyes was a fierce confidence in me, an unshakeable pride in my strength. I saw love and heartbreak pieced together, and the strain it placed on them to ask this of me. How could I deny them? Yoruichi's hands gave mine a final, reassuring squeeze, and then I walked over to my father, bowing before him, my decision made.

"I will go," I stated numbly.

My father took my face in his hands and gently kissed the top of my forehead. "Thank you," he whispered in reply.

"May I go now?" I asked.

He closed his eyes, looking as if the weight of an entire world was on his shoulders. "Yes," he said, "you may go." Opening his eyes, he turned to the rest of the High Council, waving his hand in a sign of dismissal.

Bowing once more, I quickly strode out of the room before anyone else could leave, pushing the doors open with enough force to have them crashing against the walls. Racing wildly through the halls, I wished that I could run fast enough to escape this nightmare. Behind me, I could hear Ichigo calling my name, Yuzu's voice joining his after a moment, Orihime's gentle tones placating them both. I ignored them all and kept on running.

Panting with pain and exhaustion, I reached the entrance to my room, barging in and pulling the doors shut behind me, igniting the barrier spell to keep all visitors out. I wanted to be alone for now.

Throwing myself onto my bed, I curled up into a ball and finally gave up the battle to keep the tears at bay, muffling my sobs against a pillow. An eternity seemed to pass before I was able to escape my torment, finally entering into the comforting oblivion that is dreamless slumber. My last thought before I closed my eyes was simply, _How could this be happening to me?_

* * *

**+++Toushirou+++**

* * *

_How could this be happening to me?_ I wondered. _This is _insanity_._

I knelt on one knee before the Winter Throne, upon which sat His Imperial Highness, Genryuusai Hitsugaya, Emperor of Seireitei, Lord of the Eastern Realms, and Defender of Enalma. My grandfather.

In silence, I waited for his words and tried my best to control my rising anger. Displays of raw emotion were unbefitting of someone of my status. Breathing deeply, I lifted by head and locked eyes with my grandfather.

"We have just received Karakura's reply. You will marry Lady Karin, the elder Kurosaki princess. The wedding will be in two weeks," he stated, the tone of his voice making it clear that he would tolerate no disobedience from me. I ignored it and spoke anyway.

"I will not," I said, stonily resolved.

"For the sake of our country, you will," he said, and made the sign of dismissal.

"I will not!" I screamed, standing up to face him directly. "Grandfather, she is a stranger! A foreigner! You cannot possibly think that she would be a fitting wife for me or a suitable empress for our kingdom!"

"She is of the Kurosaki bloodline. The reports of her say that she is strong warrior and a gifted First Mage. That is all that matters; she will learn our customs in time. You will marry, and that is final," my grandfather said.

"No! I will not marry her! Grandfather, in all things I have followed your will, obeyed your every order, fulfilled my every duty. The one choice that I am allowed to make for myself as Prince of Seireitei, the _one choice_, and you deny me the right to make it?" I asked in anger.

"Times have changed. We are at war, Toushirou. This alliance must be sealed in blood if we are to stand against Aizen," he replied implacably. "You suggested a marriage yourself, although I am aware that you were expecting it to be between someone of the lesser nobility and a representative of Karakura. But the fact remains that the union between you and Lady Karin will signify the greater union of our two countries. Your greatest goal is to kill Aizen, yes? Think of this marriage as a necessary means to achieving that goal, if you must. And as for your right to pick a bride…tell me, Toushirou, who would you have chosen? I have seen the way you ignore the daughters of our noble families, dedicating yourself instead to the protection of our country and the battle against Aizen."

Here my grandfather's eyes softened as he continued, "I am proud of this, my grandson. Proud that you would put the country we both love above your own heart's desires. But our country will need an Empress, and you will need a partner, a mate, a mother for your children. The bloodline must be preserved, Toushirou, especially in this time of danger, where your life is threatened every day on the battlefield. If you should fall, who would lead Seireitei when I am gone? I only want what is best for our country…and for you, my grandson."

My hands tightened into fists at my sides, and I bowed my head as I tried desperately to ignore this plea for understanding. I realized that this must have been difficult for him to admit, as my grandfather rarely allowed his feelings of love and affection show, hiding behind a stern, unapproachable manner instead.

I knew he was only acting in the best interests of Seireitei, and in a twisted way I knew he also believed he was acting in the best interests for me, however distasteful I found his attempts at matchmaking. And it was true—I had no desire for a wife; my only goal was to defeat Aizen.

And I would do whatever it took to do that—even marry a stranger.

Opening my eyes, I sighed in resignation, lifting my head to meet his gaze.

"I will marry her," I said.

"Thank you, Toushirou," he said, standing from the Winter Throne and placing a gnarled, battle-scarred hand on my shoulder. "I know you will make a fine husband for her. And from what I hear, you two at least have dedication to your nation in common. Who knows? You may even grow to love her in time."

Finished talking to me, he turned to stare impassively out the window, and I bowed once and left the room, walking swiftly down the hallways, heading straight towards my quarters. Once there, I threw open the doors, uncaring if I broke them in my anger. Taking a few steps forward in the direction of my bedroom, I stopped abruptly when I noticed someone standing on the balcony to my left.

"Ah, Toushirou," my father, Jyuushiro Ukitake, Earl of Junrin'an, said when he saw me, smiling gently at my disgruntled expression. "Why don't you join me out here? It's a good day to enjoy the view."

Sighing, I strode over to where he stood, then leaned my forearms against the railing, standing beside him.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

"I don't know," I said with yet another sigh. Turning to face him, I noted his calm, relaxed features, searching for telltale signs of fatigue and illness. After satisfying myself that he was fine, I turned once more to face the expanse of lush gardens that the balcony overlooked, figuring out a way to put into words how I was feeling at the moment.

"You know, he only wants what is best for you," my father stated, the slight wind ruffling his white hair, the exact same shade as mine. Hair color was practically the only thing I inherited from him, since everything else, including my teal-colored eyes and my last name, was given to me by my mother, the former Crown Princess, Haruka Hitsugaya. She had died at Aizen's hands when I was but eight years old.

Glancing at my father, I breathed deeply. "I _know_ that. But why can't he understand that this choice was supposed to be mine to make? Mother was allowed to choose you, and _he _was allowed to choose Granny," I said rebelliously, thinking of how my gentle, loving grandmother was able to sway my often obstinate grandfather. Perhaps she would be able to dissuade him from this course of action? Unlikely, I decided. She was probably overjoyed that I would be getting married.

My father laughed at my answer, the sound holding an edge of ironic disbelief, incredulously exclaiming, "Toushirou! You can't be serious. In some ways, my marriage to your mother and your grandfather's marriage to your grandmother were just as artfully arranged as your own impending nuptials. Did you think your grandfather had much of a choice in his bride? He had to choose the strongest and wisest of the noblewomen; it was only _after_ the wedding that he and Granny fell in love."

"What?" I gasped. "But they adore each other! Well, not that Grandfather would ever admit it," I muttered.

"Still, it's true that it wasn't always like that," my father continued. "It was even worse for your mother."

"Now you have to be joking," I said in disbelief. "Uncle Shunsui is always going on about how you fell madly in love with Mother when you were just children," I said, thinking of my father's best friend and my adopted uncle, Shunsui Kyouraku, Lord of the Eighth Gate.

My father laughed, scratching the back of his head. "Well, that is true, but it doesn't mean your mother felt the same way. You remind me much of her, actually," he said, eyes turning wistful as he thought of her. "Like you, she was the best of our warriors and fiercely dedicated to Seireitei's defense and well-being. All her time and energy was put into training our army or traveling the countryside, seeing to the needs of the people.

"She was staunchly opposed to 'wasting her time listening to some fool prattle on about love,' as she put it. Her younger sister, Setsuka, was the sweet, romantic one. The two were total opposites. It drove your grandfather crazy that his heir wouldn't put down roots, even if her younger sister had already been married for twenty years. I don't think Haruka would have ever have spared me or her other suitors a second glance if Master Genryuusai hadn't intervened.

"You should have seen her, Toushirou! She'd be sitting at the center of the party, nobles fawning all over her, and on her face would be this singularly disgusted expression, as if she was asking, 'Haven't we all something better to do?' But of course, she had to attend, or Master Genryuusai would keep her from participating in the Central Forty-Six meetings. So she bore with the fancy balls and the ladies' gossip, and made it quite clear to any would-be suitors that she'd kill them if they ever made the slightest move.

"She actually despised me then, did you know? We had been childhood friends, but as we grew up and her father pressured her to choose a husband, she began to resent me most out of all her suitors. As one of Master Genryuusai's prized pupils and a noble in my own right, I was eminently suitable to be her Royal Consort. It didn't help that her father made it so obvious that I was his favored choice to be the father of his grandchildren, either," said Juushiro, laughing as he reminisced. "I was designated as her escort to every party, made head of her Crown Protectors, and even accompanied her on every trip to the countryside.

"Of course, instead of this forced proximity making her fall madly in love with me, as her parents had hoped, it had the opposite effect of causing her to curse my very name. I didn't know whether to be miserable because she hated me so much, or happy because I was able to spend nearly all of my time with her," he continued, shaking his head slightly.

"But she had to have changed her mind, otherwise I wouldn't be here," I said, curious in spite of myself.

"Well, all that time together apparently showed her how much I loved our country and our people. And she started falling in love with me because of that. It took a few years, but eventually she proposed and we got married. You were born a few decades later," my father finished.

"So you had a happy ending, at least for a time," I said, crossing my arms and bowing my head. "But I fear the same will not hold true for me. Father, I have no wish to be married, especially not to someone I don't even know, much less love."

"Unfortunately for you, your grandfather has run out of patience and has decided to choose your mate for you, since you proved to be so unwilling to choose one for yourself. All I can say to you now is to accept things and keep an open mind and heart. This girl…it can't be easy for her, either, yet she is willing to leave her family and her home and marry a stranger, all for the sake of Karakura. Is this not a woman you can respect?" he asked me gently.

"Perhaps so," I replied, then scowled as I remembered my grandfather's parting words. "Just don't say that I'll fall in love with her, given enough time. I'll be civil to her, and we might even grow to be friends, but there's only room in my heart for Seireitei."

"Of course I won't say that, Toushirou. This is an arranged marriage; I can't expect you to be madly in love with a girl you haven't even met," said my father. "But don't be surprised if you _do_ end up falling in love. It's not something you can control."

Rolling my eyes at that trite statement, I spared a glance at the horizon and noted that the sun had already begun its descent. Exchanging a look with my father, I bowed to him once and then left my quarters, heading towards the northern wing of the palace, where the highest tower stood.

It was time to visit Momo.

A few minutes later, I stood in front of a plain black door with an elegant rune at the place a doorknob would normally be. Drawing a dagger from my sleeves, I made a small incision on my left wrist, taking the blood that welled up and smearing it over the rune, stepping back as the door's color faded to white. Once the transformation was complete, I pushed it open and stepped into the room beyond.

Inside was a frail, black-haired girl, sitting on the far side of the room with her back turned towards me and her eyes gazing out the window. Her name was Momo Hinamori, Countess of Tobiume, and she was my older cousin, practically my sister.

"Shiro? Is that you?" she whispered, turning to face me, a wan smile on her pale, exhausted face.

"Hello, Momo. What are you doing out of bed—and where is Nemu?" I asked, referring to Nemu Kurotsuchi, a minor noblewoman who acted as both Momo's personal nurse and the Royal Apothecary.

"Right here, Your Highness," Nemu said, appearing to materialize from thin air, holding a cup of herbal tea. After giving me a deep bow, she walked over to Momo and tenderly placed the cup in my cousin's frail hands, then stayed by her side, her hands folded together as she watched Momo drink.

"How are you feeling today? Better, I hope?" I asked, a little awkwardly. I never knew what to say to her, not here in this room that served as her prison in all but name.

"Yes, a little better. Good enough to get out of bed and watch the sunset," she stated simply. "Toushirou, I've heard…" she continued, then stopped, as if she didn't know what to say next. So I spoke the words for her.

"You've heard that I'm getting married?" I queried.

She nodded, summoning a tired smile. "Mmhm. I wasn't sure if it was just gossip, or if congratulations really are in order."

I sighed. "Well, the rumors are true, but I wouldn't deem it a cause for celebration. The marriage has been arranged, and I've never even met her. I only know a few facts: her name is Lady Karin, and she's Karakura's Second Heir and First Mage. Grandfather wants me to marry her because of her strength, and because it will solidify the alliance with Karakura and aid in the battle against Aizen, so—"

The cup suddenly fell from her hands and dropped to the floor, and Momo hugged herself and stooped forward, as if in pain.

Silently, I cursed my stupidity for having uttered _his_ name, and quickly knelt in front of her, trying to see how badly she was affected. She lifted her head and gave me a sad smile, and in her eyes I could see a wordless apology for her weakness. Closing them once more, she bowed her head and waited for the illness to pass. Nemu was on her other side, gently wiping the sweat from her face with a handkerchief, and exchanging worried glances with me.

"I'm sorry, Momo," I said with regret.

"Don't be," she replied. "It's not your fault. It's Lord Aizen's," she finished, her eyes clouding once more in agony. As she bit down on her lip, Nemu rummaged in her pockets and found a needle, pricking Momo's arm with it.

My cousin suddenly relaxed and slumped to the side, and Nemu placed an arm around her shoulders, preparing to carry her back to bed. I shook my head and picked her up instead, walking into the next room and softly laying her down, smoothing the hair away from her face and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Straightening, I sighed as I stayed there for a few more moments, watching over her and wishing I could better protect her, my hands clenching uselessly at my sides. After making sure Nemu was settled comfortably in the bedside chair, I left the room and walked out of the sealed door, which had returned to its original color and now resembled obsidian.

Pausing just outside it, I closed my eyes and renewed my vow in silence.

The vow I had first made thirty years ago on the day Sousuke Aizen had betrayed our family, using Momo's blind adoration to gain access to the Inner Sanctum.

The vow I had made the day he tried to assassinate my grandfather and the entire Imperial Family.

The vow I had made the day I stood over the my mother's dead body, her arms flung wide from when she'd blocked his blade with her own body, giving her life to save mine.

The vow I had made every day since, a simple sentence that conveyed my hatred and represented my reason for existing.

_Aizen, I swear that I will kill you._

* * *

**Endnote: And that's chapter two. I do hope you liked it. :)**

**I do apologize for any OOCness; I know Genryuusai is supposed to be this uncaring, stern old man, but I decided to make him slightly more approachable in this story. And yes, he is married to Toushirou's Granny. I figured it would be easier that way, and don't you think that Granny would make a perfect Empress? As to last names, I decided to change Genryuusai's last name to Toushirou's rather than the other way around, so Genryuusai Hitsugaya it is. **

**What else, what else? Oh, yes! Ukitake was allowed to keep his last name, as he is a noble in his own right, but Toushirou was given his mother's last name because she was the Crown Princess and had to keep the Hitsugaya bloodline going. Ukitake's lands and title will revert to his second-oldest grandchild once he dies. In this universe, women are on roughly equal footing with men, and only age determines who will be the next ruler; if Karin had been born first, she would be next-in-line, not Ichigo. Genryuusai had only two children, and they were both daughters, so Haruka, as the elder, was his heir. After Aizen killed her, her title passed to Toushirou and not Momo, because even though Momo is older, she is Setsuka's, the younger daughter's, child. **

**So yeah…I hope the above paragraph was able to clear up any potential confusion, and if you still have questions, just send me a message. Thank you for reading this story, and please review! :D **


	3. Of Honor and Duty

**Author Note: Hello, everyone! This is CrazyAce'n'PokerFace, welcoming you back after a year of absence. We're REALLY sorry for that, and we hope this chapter makes it up to you. So thank you very much for joining us for the third installment of **_**Where Angels Fear to Tread**_**. We hope you enjoy it!**

**Normal = prose, **_**italics**_** = thoughts or inner conversations. **

**Warning: Though the main pairing is HitsuKarin, there will be mentions of IchiHime, RenRuki, JintaYuzu, and a whole bunch of other couples. In addition, there will be violence and death and lots and lots of blood. If you don't like, don't read. Thank you. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. They belong solely to Tite Kubo. However, if there was an alternate universe where I do own Bleach, I will promptly give my left arm to switch with my other self. :)**

* * *

**Chapter Three: Of Honor and Duty**

* * *

**+++Karin+++**

* * *

"It's been a week since my death sentence was passed," I said. I was looking out of my bedroom window and absent-mindedly tracing a few patterns on it, frowning as I did so. The sun was out today and shining brightly as ever—I suppose I shouldn't have expected it to match my dark mood, but it was still annoying. Sighing, I turned around to face my audience—

—only to meet Nel's disapproving stare, Orihime's sad look, and Yuzu's suddenly teary gaze.

"Lady Karin," Nel said, making my title seem an admonishment.

I sighed. "Very well, then. It's been one week since my 'engagement' has been announced. Sorry. It's easy for me to get them mixed up, since their effects are shockingly similar. You know, intense agony, loss of freedom, never being able to see my friends and family again."

I regretted my words as soon as Yuzu got up to excuse herself from the room, her shoulders shaking as she ran out. Orihime followed her, sending a worried look over her shoulder at me and promising that they'd be back in just a minute before she disappeared from my line of sight.

The glare Nel shot me could have withered trees.

"Being negative isn't going to help the situation, my lady," Nel said, a tad bit cross. Okay, more than a tad bit. "In fact, it's only going to make it worse."

"It makes _me_ feel better," I muttered, crossing my arms across my chest and glaring at the floor. "I'm already marrying a complete stranger. I don't see how pretending to be happy about it could possibly help the situation."

Seeing the tense set of my shoulders, Nel sighed, the sound regretful. "I know it's hard for you, my lady. Believe me, I know. But hurting yourself like this is only going to hurt the people around you more, especially your sisters. Don't you think, for Lady Yuzu and Lady Orihime's sakes, that you could at least try to _act _more accepting?"

I clenched my jaw. Nel had known me since I was eight years old, barely out of toddlerhood by vampiric standards, and she knew exactly how to make me feel guilty. I wouldn't let it work this time around. "I don't want to accept it."

"You've made that clear, yes." She paused, eyes thoughtful and sad as she gazed at me. "However, I think both you and I know that you have already accepted that this is the only way to save our country."

"_My_ country," I said, angrier still because her words rang true. "It's not yours. It was never yours."

Dead silence. Then, "Do you really think that I don't consider this place home?"

Goddess take it. I hunched my shoulders miserably as the guilt came crashing in. "No," I replied. "I don't think that way. But surely you hated living in Karakura when you first came here. I mean, you'd just been exiled for Goddess's sake! You must have hated it here."

"Perhaps when I first came here. But over time, I came to love it, to love the people here. It _is_ my country now, after thirty years. And just because I love Karakura doesn't mean I love the Free Lands any less," she said, using the natives' name for the Land of Exiles, for Hueco Mundo. "They will always be my homeland—but this is my home now, too, and its people are my family."

Stretching out a hand to touch my shoulder, she waited until I looked at her before continuing. "Leaving Karakura doesn't mean losing the love you have for it and its people—and it doesn't mean that they'll stop loving you. But it also doesn't mean that you can't adjust to living in Seireitei—given enough time, it can even become home."

"It will _never_ be home," I said vehemently.

Nel gave me another long, unreadable look. "If you insist, my lady."

I lifted my chin. "I do."

"Very well." She fell silent as Yuzu and Orihime stepped back into the room. My heart twisted guiltily as I noticed the tearstains on my twin's face. Despite my earlier words, I could see that Nel was right—I was hurting my sister. I was already consigned to a life of exile and misery; no need to make Yuzu suffer, too.

"Don't cry, Yuzu," I said, pasting a smile on my face that felt altogether too brittle. "The wedding dress isn't that horrible."

Yuzu laughed tearily, waving her hands. "Of course it isn't! I helped design it, after all." She walked to the middle of the room, where the dress itself graced a mannequin. "Come here. Are you ready to try it on?"

I ran a hand down one of its sleeves; today was to be the final fitting before the last touches were placed upon it. It _was_ a beautiful dress, with simple, elegant lines that ended in a short train, and a matching veil made of lace. I might have even found it tolerable to wear if it hadn't been a reminder of the mockery of a wedding that I was going to put myself through. To me, such a dress could never be anything but a funeral shroud.

Shaking my head slightly to dispel such thoughts—what was the point of dwelling on all the things I couldn't change, of wasting the last few moments I had with my sisters? And they were moments now, seconds that ticked silently away, the numbers winding down…

_Stop this_. _What's done is done, and what will be, will be. You can only change the now_, I thought to myself, repeating my mother's oft-spoken words.

So I kept the smile on my face, and let Orihime and Yuzu help me put on the dress, do up the buttons, arrange the train, and place the veil on me.

"There," Orihime said quietly, turning me to face the full-length mirror I normally kept hidden behind a curtain (if looking at myself was what I wanted to do, there was a perfectly respectable chipped, old hand mirror on my bedside table). "Absolutely beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you on your wedding day," I said. I could still remember how radiant she looked, how happy everyone was, how even Ichigo couldn't stop smiling that day. The castle staff had gone all out with the decorations, so that everything looked like it was straight out of a dream, and the celebration had lasted for a full week afterwards. I remembered Yuzu wanting a wedding just as wonderful, and asking me how I wanted mine to be.

Simple. Small. No frills or extravagant decorations. Just me, my husband, and our friends and family. That was how I'd always imagined my wedding would be like. Impossible, of course, since I was a princess and a royal marriage would have to include all of our subjects. But I never could have foreseen it to be the kind of over-the-top, ridiculously lavish event it was turning out to be. As a wedding joining two royal houses, however, such extravagance was unavoidable.

Orihime spoke, breaking my reverie. "Nonsense. You will look just as lovely as I did, more so even."

"Uh-huh!" Yuzu exclaimed. "He'll fall madly in love with you as soon as he sees you!"

I grimaced. "Ugh. Please don't say things like that."

Her expression fell. "Oh. Of course. But it would be better, wouldn't it, if you two at least liked each other? Maybe—maybe you could be friends!" She wrung her hands anxiously. "I hear he's a good fighter. You have that in common."

I chuckled mirthlessly. "That, and nothing else. I also hear that he's also an arrogant, ice-cold vampire who's obsessed with revenge. The kind of commander who'd sacrifice his soldiers without a thought, if it meant he could get a chance to kill Aizen."

Nel cut in, "_I_ heard that he would willingly lay his life down for his people and his country, and do anything to protect them, no matter the personal cost. And I would think that my sources are more reliable than yours, my lady, since you spend so much time on the battlefield instead of reading the spies' reports."

"Hmph," I said. "That's what I have you and Ulquiorra for. You _know_ I hate paperwork. But either way, I still don't see what there is to like about him. He's from Seireitei, for Goddess's sake! He has absolutely no redeeming features!"

Yuzu fiddled with her gown. "Well…that's not _entirely _true. The ladies of the court were gossiping, and I couldn't help but overhear…"

"Meaning you were eavesdropping," I said.

She stuck her tongue out at me, and I was happy to see that she was at least partly back to her normal self. "It's not eavesdropping if you do it on accident. Anyway, they were saying that Prince Toushirou is the handsomest man in all of Seireitei, and definitely the most desirable. So at least your husband won't be ugly." She looked at me hopefully.

I groaned. "Saying that only makes it seem more ridiculous that we're getting married. I don't even know what he looks like!"

"That's true," Orihime said. "But you can at least keep an open mind. Like Yuzu said, maybe you can be friends, at the very least. You may have more in common with him than you think," she finished, fixing my veil.

"Being friends and all is fine, but you are aware that Seireitei will be expecting me to produce an heir as quickly as possible," I said darkly. "But His Royal Highness is in for a surprise if he thinks I'm letting him touch me on our wedding night, or any night for that matter."

"Karin!" Yuzu admonished. "Arranged marriages are common in Seireitei, so I'm sure Prince Toushirou will be a gentleman and…um…wait…until you're ready."

"And I'm saying that I never will be, so he may as well hop in and out of all the beds of the women who find him _so _desirable."

Yuzu looked scandalized and annoyed, and probably would have said something in rebuke if she hadn't been interrupted by a knock at the door.

Nel shot me a look before saying "Come in."

Ulquiorra stepped in and bowed. "Greetings, Lady Karin Kurosaki, First Mage of the Night, Second Heir to the Throne, Princess of Karakura, and soon-to-be Crown Princess of Seireitei and future Empress." I scowled at that last set of titles, then rolled my eyes as he bowed in Orihime's direction, obviously preparing to greet her and probably Yuzu in the same formal manner.

"Cut it out, Ulqui. We know who we are, and we know you know who we are. Now, what do you want?" I said brusquely.

He straightened up and met my gaze. "Your father and the High Council wish to see you, Lady. Lady Orihime, Lady Yuzu, and Neliel are encouraged to be there also."

"Alright. Go and tell them that we'll be there shortly, as soon as I get out of this dress," I replied.

He nodded and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

"What could Daddy want?" Yuzu asked, curious.

I had a few ideas, and none of them were good. Meeting my own gaze in the mirror, I could see the beginnings of apprehension—and anger as well.

* * *

"Absolutely not, Father!" I burst out. I whirled to face Uncle Ryuuken and the rest of the High Council. "Tell him! Tell him he's insane!"

Uncle Ryuuken gave me a long, unreadable look before he turned to my father and said, "She's a bit slow on the uptake, isn't she? She should've figured out you were insane when she was in diapers. Are we certain we want to send her into Seireitei when she's so bloody unobservant?"

Seething, I spat out, "Who else are you going to send? I'm the best we've got! And I should be _enough_!"

Uncle Kisuke started clapping. "There's our girl. Much better, much better. We were all afraid you'd gotten kidnapped and replaced by some awful, depressed, and pessimistic clone."

I glared at him. "Uncle, you can't honestly tell me that you want to send a full _third_ of our best warriors with me to Seireitei? We can barely spare me! How are we going to survive without Renji? Or Tatsuki? Or even Lady Nanao?!"

He waved his fan in front of his face. "My, my, my, the way you talk is as if you have no faith in us at all."

Lord Ryuuken snorted. "Remember, girl, we were protecting the kingdom long before you were ever a gleam in your father's crazy eye."

Obviously, I wasn't going to get any help from them, so instead I turned to my brother. "Ichigo. _Please_."

He looked at me, saying nothing.

A few minutes earlier, when I'd walked into the room accompanied by my sisters and Nel, I knew that the meeting would most likely involve my upcoming marriage, and the people I would take with me as my retinue to Seireitei. My father told me to sit down and then informed me of who the candidates were:

Lord Renji Abarai. Lady Tatsuki Arisawa. Lord Uryuu Ishida. Clan-Heir Izumi Kuroda. Priestess Natsuko Kuronuma. Lady Neliel Tu Oderschvank. Lord Ulquiorra Schiffer. Lady Nanao Ise. Around twenty additional personal guards and servants. And, last but not least, Lady Yoruichi Shihoin.

I'd stared at my father for a few seconds before I started yelling at him.

The meeting devolved from there.

And now, I watched Ichigo, waiting for his answer.

"Karin, we have to send them with you," he said, never breaking his gaze.

"No!" I yelled back. "How can you do this to us? We need them here!"

"Karin, be sensible," Aunt Yoruichi said. "We are _not_ sending you to the heart of what was very recently enemy territory without sufficient protection. And we are definitely not sending you out of Karakura alone, without any of your friends and family."

"But—!"

"No buts. You, and the people who accompany you, will be the first official, permanent ambassadors and representatives from Karakura living in Seireitei since the Civil War. And as such, we have to send some of our very best," she replied.

"My lovely wife is right as always," Uncle Kisuke cheerfully said. "Besides, it will be a fair trade. Seireitei will lend us some nice armies in compensation."

"But we can't trust them!"

"And they can't trust us," my father said. "So in the end, if this alliance is to be successful, one of us has to let our guard down first."

"It's not letting down our guard if we send some of our best warriors to the capital, where they could assassinate the Emperor," Uncle Ryuuken pointed out.

I straightened abruptly. "Is that the plan?"

"Unfortunately, no," Uncle Ryuuken replied, ignoring Father's glare.

Father glanced back at me. "It's a precaution and a show of our strength, which also doubles as an example of the kind of support we could provide if they do nothing to jeopardize the alliance."

"Basically, it's a polite threat," Uncle Ryuuken stated bluntly. "The plan isn't to assassinate the Emperor; it's to imply that we could if we wanted to, so they better not even think of using you as a hostage. Ever."

"Awwww, that's so sweet, Uncle Ryuuken!" Yuzu interrupted. She blinked as we all stared at her. "What?"

"Nothing," I said. Sometimes my twin could say the most awkward things… "Anyway, if that's the case, could someone explain to me why we chose who we did? My Guard, and_ just_ my Guard, would have suited me fine." Which was actually a slight untruth—I had planned to leave Jinta behind, so he could watch over Yuzu for me.

"Very well," Aunt Yoruichi stated. "If I may have the honor?" she said, raising a brow at my father. She continued when he nodded. "To reiterate, your new Guard must be people you can trust implicitly. They will also be representatives of Karakura, and as such, must actually _represent_ Karakura's people. Lord Renji Abarai is a member of your brother's Guard, a trusted friend of the family, and a swordsman who is unmatched by any except Ichigo in skill. He'll be replacing Jinta as a member of your Guard, since my adopted son will be augmenting Lady's Yuzu's instead. We can't very well separate a bonded pair, now can we? He also happens to be the only natural human-born vampire currently alive. Including him in your Guard shows that we consider such vampires to be our equals and respected comrades. Essentially, he is a living reminder of Karakura's values of egalitarianism.

"Next is Lady Tatsuki Arisawa, also a member of your brother's Guard _and_ head of the Palace Guards. She'll be replacing Ururu. We included her for her unrivaled prowess at hand to hand combat, as well as her exceptional sensing capabilities. She'll be able to find you anywhere at any time, should you ever be in danger."

"But—!" I began to protest.

"Please let them go with you," Orihime interrupted quietly. "Renji will be Ichigo's representative, and Tatsuki will be mine. We've asked them both personally to watch over you for us, since we won't be able to." She smiled sadly, taking Ichigo's hand in hers.

"I…fine," I said, looking down.

"Thank you," Ichigo said, his voice grave.

"Good. I'm glad that's settled," Aunt Yoruichi said. "Moving on. Next is Lord Uryuu Ishida—"

"That worthless son of mine," Uncle Ryuuken muttered.

"—who happens to be the best archer in the country. Additionally, several members of your entourage will be archers that he hand-picks, to serve as a miniature long-range weapons squad with him as its leader. Lord Uryuu, like the other two, is a member of your brother's Guard and someone you've known since birth. You can trust him. He also happens to be the temporary ambassador to Seireitei, and thus will be more knowledgeable than most about the inner workings of its court and country. He will be able to help me coach you when I teach you everything you need to know about Seireitei's customs and traditions.

"He will be replacing Chad, as your Guard member happens to be Clan-Lord of _all _the Werewolf Clans. A head of state, as it were, and someone we just cannot afford to give up."

"Finally, some sense," I grumbled.

Aunt Yoruichi continued as if she hadn't heard me—which was extremely unlikely, given her acute hearing and a penchant for eavesdropping that was worse than Yuzu's. "As a representative of the werewolves, we're sending Izumi instead, Clan-Heir to the Kurodas. And as you know, she's one of the strongest up-and-coming werewolves in Karakura."

I smiled. Of course I knew that—Izumi was one of my closest friends, and so was Natsuko. Those two were some of the few choices I _didn't_ disagree with; I'd have asked them to come with me myself (though only temporarily, instead of permanently like my father was planning).

"Priestess Natsuko Kuronuma can serve as your spiritual advisor and Karakura's representative of both the Goddess and the witches. She is, of course, the granddaughter and most likely successor of the leader of the Witches' Coven, as well as being a remarkable healer. Natsuko and Izumi's friendship with you will symbolize the friendship between the vampires of Karakura and the werewolves and witches that Seireitei once discriminated against.

"Lady Nel and Lord Ulquiorra will represent the True Exiles, of course, and were a logical choice as they are already part of your Guard. In addition, they have valuable connections to the True Exiles in Seireitei."

Ulquiorra sighed. "Must we refer to Grimmjow as a valuable connection? At best, I regard him as an imbecile with whom I am unfortunately acquainted."

Nel, I noted, said nothing, but only thinned her lips.

"Lady Nanao Ise will be representing the Vaizards," Aunt Yoruichi said. "She has been wanting to visit her sister for some time. You probably won't remember Lady Lisa, since she moved to Seireitei when you were barely three, but she's married to Lord Shunsui Kyouraku, the best friend of your future father-in-law. I will probably be staying with them in their mansion near the palace, as Shihoin House is unlikely to put up with me after my 'disgraceful elopement.'

"And I, fortunately for you, will be going with you to serve you as your guide and teacher. Don't argue with me now; you know no one can do it better. I was born and raised there, after all. I _had_ to have picked up a thing or two. Besides, I've got more information networks and insider knowledge than anyone else, both here and in Seireitei. You're going to need a spymaster, and until Uryuu can stand on his own, I'll have to be it."

I glared. "But what about Uncle Kisuke?"

"He'll be perfectly fine without me, and besides, I need a vacation. He's been driving me insane lately, and I could do with some distance before I murder him." She winked at me and stuck her tongue out at Uncle Kisuke, who pretended to clutch his heart in agony. "See? My killing intent alone is enough to finish him off. Don't worry; he'll have enough to take care of, what with having to fill in my shoes as Karakura's Grand Spymaster."

"Oh, joy," Uncle Kisuke said, morosely taking off his hat.

"Oh, shut up. You know you'll enjoy it," she said fondly. Turning back to me, she raised a brow. "Any objections?"

"Too many to name, but I know you'll all ignore me no matter what I say." I sighed, placing my head down on the table. I heard the chair beside me creak as someone sat in it, then felt a body pressing against my left side.

"Please, Karin," Yuzu begged.

"Take them with you," Ichigo said gruffly, coming to stand beside her.

"Let them take care of you, since we won't be there to do it," Orihime pleaded.

I felt a gentle nudge on my shoulder, followed by a stroke against my hair. "I want what's best for you, Karin," my father said softly. "I just can't give it to you, so I have to make do with what I _can_ give you, which are friends you love and people I trust to protect you. _Please_."

How could I say no?

"Very well," I whispered back. "I'll take them with me."

* * *

**Endnote: And that's Chapter Three! Hoped you like it folks, and thanks for reading! :)**

**Thanks to everyone who added us to their alerts or their favorites. We're actually going to be doing our little thank you paragraph differently from now on, and just naming and specifically thanking the people who reviewed Chapter Two, because there are just too many of you who're alerting this story. And it just takes so very long to get you all down, and then I always miss somebody and feel EXTREMEMLY GUILTY…so we're just settling for thanking all of you in general. So thank you if you added this story to your alerts or your favorites! We appreciate it!**

**Special thanks goes to the following people for reviewing the last chapter: self-is-illusion, Turtle-chan in Blue, animerocks30, meggie moo s, 13YingYang13, spinachmuncher, keroneko13, chiharuSAICHI, fluco99, Lillix Vail, bjacobs101, Shizuku700, HitsuKarin Lurver, Furion Knight, and Hakkuchi. **

**Lots of love and gratitude goes to them, and to anyone who's read this story. :D **

**(If we've forgotten you or spelled your name wrong, PLEASE TELL US! Seriously, I feel so guilty when I notice I forgot somebody or got their name wrong. T_T)**

**Note: Certain pen names, namely those with a period in the middle, have been spelled wrong so that Document Manager will not erase them. We apologize to anyone who is offended by this.**

**Again, thank you for reading this, and hopefully we'll see you all soon! Please review if you can! :D **

**Next chapter: Edge of the Abyss**


	4. Edge of the Abyss

**Author Note: Hello, everyone! This is CrazyAce'n'PokerFace, and we are SO happy to see you all again! Welcome to the fourth installment of **_**Where Angels Fear to Tread**_**. We hope you enjoy it!**

**Normal = prose, **_**italics**_** = thoughts or inner conversations. **

**Warning: Though the main pairing is HitsuKarin, there will be mentions of IchiHime, RenRuki, JintaYuzu, and a whole bunch of other couples. In addition, there will be violence and death and lots and lots of blood. If you don't like, don't read. Thank you. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. They belong solely to Tite Kubo. However, if there was an alternate universe where I do own Bleach, I will promptly give my left arm to switch with my other self. :)**

* * *

**Chapter Four: Edge of the Abyss**

* * *

**+++ Karin +++**

* * *

To be perfectly honest, sneaking out of the castle at three in the morning probably wasn't the smartest idea I'd ever had. Of course, looking at the way my father and the rest of his council had lost their Goddess-blessed _minds_, I felt I could be forgiven for a little indiscretion.

If I stayed a second longer in my room, staring at the wedding dress in the corner and counting down the days (3 days, 4 hours, 31 minutes, and 5 seconds…4 seconds…3 seconds…) until I left, I'd go mad.

Being reckless and stupid instead was a vastly preferable option.

Besides, a random rogue vampire, commonly known as a Hollow, might come along and I'd have something to kill.

With that cheerful thought, I quietly climbed out of my window, landed in the garden below, snuck past the guards, scaled the castle walls, and dropped down the other side to freedom. From there, it was easy to melt into the shadows and make my way out of Karasu, heading west as fast as I could run, away from the city, away from my problems, and away from the prince who slept just outside the eastern walls of my home.

As I left the outskirts of the city and entered the countryside, I slowed. There wasn't anyone here to see me and drag me back home. I'd enjoy my solitude, stretch my legs, have some time to think, and then sneak back into my room before anyone noticed I'd even left. As I hadn't run off like this in years (not since before the war, not since before my first battle, not since before I'd killed someone with my bare hands_—"You're a warrior now, Karin."_), I was certain I wouldn't be missed, and if Nel or Ulquiorra _did _notice I was gone, they'd probably assume I'd gone for a stroll in the castle gardens. It was common knowledge that I went pacing whenever I was angry or frustrated or just needed to think, and usually the gardens were perfect for that—outdoors, secluded, and quiet.

But not tonight. Tonight, I had no wish to wander in the gardens my mother had tended, knowing I might never see them again following the day after tomorrow. I had no desire to walk the paths where, just today, representatives from Seireitei had tread, quietly admiring of my mother's roses, Orihime's orchids, Yuzu's magnolia trees (but not a word said about my stubborn, weed-like daisies—in fact, the only acknowledgement my flower of choice received was a skeptically raised brow from one representative).

I thought of them now as I paced in the moonlight, the representatives who would soon be representing me.

I'd watched them from my window, suppressing the urge to slaughter them where they stood. My thoughts seethed—_How dare they look at _my _gardens, how dare they walk in _my _castle, how dare they take _my_ freedom!_—but I did nothing as they left. Well, nothing much. I did play a harmless prank, but they brought that on themselves when they tried to probe my castle's defenses.

(The prince was not with them. It was apparently one of their customs that the bride and groom not see each other for a full week before the wedding. I wanted to ask if it was also the custom that they never even meet before the engagement, but I stayed silent and nodded instead.)

They returned to their camp, set up this morning as soon as they'd arrived. They had guards on the perimeter twenty-four/seven, and we had archers on the eastern wall at all hours. No fighting had erupted yet, and the scouts who'd spied on them as they journeyed here reported that they were polite and disciplined, so I guess my impending wedding was serving its purpose of keeping the peace. Yuzu and Orihime found the representatives pleasant; one of them, a Lady Rukia Hiruzen, had apparently planned several events for her brother-in-law and would be helping with the wedding. Yuzu mentioned how pretty she was: dark-haired, petite, and violet-eyed. Orihime spoke of how kind, thoughtful, and well-spoken she seemed.

Ichigo sparred with her, and declared her a decent fighter.

That told me all I needed to know. She was dangerous and someone to watch. Maybe I would spar with her, and we would be allies; maybe I would talk with her, and we would be enemies.

This would be my life now—always watching the people around me, keeping my back to the wall, not knowing who to trust, not having anyone to laugh with. Seireitei's politics were nothing like Karakura's, with the Central 46 cold and rigid in comparison to the relaxed councils that convened in my father's throne room.

Their formal, strict balls would be nothing like the rowdy, entertaining festivals that the Vaizards held, or the loud, drunken revels of the werewolves, or the warm, intimate gatherings of the witches, or the familiar, fun-filled parties that Yuzu and Orihime would throw. Their soldiers wouldn't be gruff and overly protective, wouldn't have known me since I was a baby, or witnessed my first steps, or helped me up whenever I fell. Their villages wouldn't be welcoming and kind and always ready to share everything they had, even when I insisted they didn't.

They wouldn't know how to tell dirty jokes like Kon, or flirt with the maids like Ryohei, or roll their eyes like Kazuya, or knit like Pinta, or fish like Donny, or spar like Jinta, or tell stories like Ururu, or bake like Chad, or yell like Hiyori, or grin like Shinji, or dodge like Keigo, or crack codes like Mizuiro, or pull pranks like Uncle Kisuke, or play chess like Uncle Ryuuken, or laugh like Yuzu, or smile like Orihime, or scowl like Ichigo, or hug me 'til my ribs crack like my father…

Oh, Goddess, I didn't want to do this. I didn't want to leave home.

I stood stock-still for a moment, staring hopelessly up at the moon. Great, just great. Instead of cheering me up, this walk only made me even more fervently depressed than before. I lowered my gaze and looked off into the distance. If I just kept on going, I could reach the coast in two days…

And go nowhere. I sighed and shook my head. What the hell was I thinking? I couldn't run away—for one thing, there was nowhere to run _to_ (Hueco Mundo was out of the question, and, for obvious reasons, so was Seireitei—and it's not like the werewolf clans could hide me forever…), and for another, I wouldn't abandon my country or my duty. Ever.

So that meant I'd have to head on home and face the music.

Again: great. Just great.

Taking a deep breath, I turned back east, noting how the sky was beginning to lighten—dawn was approaching. Hmm. I'd have to run fast if I wanted to make it home before anyone noticed I was gone.

I'd barely taken five steps when the Hollows attacked.

There were a lot of them.

I grinned.

Maybe this little trip hadn't been such a waste after all.

* * *

**+++Toushirou+++**

* * *

Leaving the camp and wandering around the countryside of a nation we'd uneasily held truce with for centuries and only recently cemented as allies was probably not the wisest thing I'd done lately. However, considering the stress I'd gone through the last two weeks after _wisely_ agreeing to marry a complete stranger, I felt that I was more than entitled to a little unwise behavior.

Besides, if I'd spent one more minute staring at the white and red wedding robes sitting in the corner of my tent, I was going to go stark, raving mad—and having an insane groom show up to the ceremony in three days was bound to make a horrible impression upon my new in-laws, who also happened to be the royal family of the nation we'd so recently and tenuously allied ourselves with.

_Not so tenuously anymore_, my mind reminded me. _Now the treaty is bound with blood—_your _blood, and the blood of the heirs your _wife_ will give you_.

_Heirs_. I shuddered. Was it truly less than a month ago when siring heirs had been the furthest thing from my mind, too immersed in battle strategy and field reports to bother thinking about finding a wife? Now I had one waiting for me less than a few miles away, just past the imposing walls of Karasu, sleeping soundly in her bed as courtiers and servants scurried about and prepared our wedding, which drew nearer and nearer with every second that passed…

Two weeks ago I was on a battlefield, prepared to give my life in service to my country. In two days, I would be in a temple, preparing to do the same in a move that would likely ensure Seireitei's victory over Aizen.

I ought to have been rejoicing.

Why, then, did spending my life with a woman I had never even seen seem as great a sacrifice as dying in the war?

I sighed, glancing over the expanse of countryside before me. I'd headed far to the west, away from my camp and away from the city—I didn't want my guards hovering over me, and I certainly didn't want a Quincy's arrow sticking out of me, either. Mostly, I just wanted some peace and quiet—alone, so I could think and remind myself of the logic of my decision.

* * *

Karakura was no doubt a powerful nation and a necessary ally; it was also a beautiful country, despite the damage the war had inflicted. While traveling through it this past week, members of my entourage had gotten a sense of its resources: though towns and villages had been burned down, the majority of them remained intact, and the vast countryside would keep its many citizens—and soldiers—well-fed. They had roads, canals, aqueducts, and bridges to rival our own, and fortresses and strongholds enviable in their strength. And this was just the outer reaches—we had not even glimpsed the heartlands, were the Vaizards, werewolves, and witches were said to reside.

Of equal, if not greater, interest to me were Karakura's citizens—if there was one thing war had taught me, it was know thine enemy. For this reason, I'd agreed with my father's suggestions to travel here via caravan—he felt it would be a good opportunity to show them we meant no harm and for both sides to get to know each other before the wedding. After all, soldiers from either side would now have to work together. Father pointed out that my original plan of flying to Karasu on Hyourinmaru, my dragon, would probably be regarded with panic at best and violent hostility at worst, since dragons had not been seen in Karakura since the Great Schism. So I agreed to the week-long trek, partly because of that, and partly because I wanted to assess Karakura's strength and what threat they'd pose if negotiations fell through.

My people expected Karakurans to be a hostile people somewhat lacking in refinement and order. Early impressions only reinforced this—people in villages were hardly welcoming and treated us with unease, wariness, and distrust. As this was the first meeting between our peoples in centuries, it was only to be expected. However, Lady Rukia Hiruzen, a scion of the House of Kuchiki and a trusted colleague (I would say we were close enough to be called distant friends) and my familiar, Rangiku Matsumoto, were soon mingling with the locals and implementing my father's part of the plan—as well as gleaning information for me.

Once the initial barriers of their distrust were breached, the Karakurans were a remarkably open and friendly group. From my scouts' reports I learned that they were a resilient, no-nonsense people who were somewhat more gregarious and free with their opinions than the humans back home. Karakurans also lacked a sense of the rigid hierarchy present in Seireitei, and while they were loyal and fiercely devoted to their royal house, they also seemed to regard their rulers as…family, almost. They talked fondly and even familiarly of each of the members, breathing life to what had once been dry facts to those of us from Seireitei. From their stories, I began to form a clearer picture of my future allies, at least seen through the eyes of their people.

Before, I thought of King Isshin as a stern and unyielding ruler, gifted with near unmatched political astuteness and cunning; after all, had he not managed to secure the border between Karakura and Seireitei by marrying the heiress of West Rukongai? But I now knew Isshin Kurosaki was regarded as a humorous, boisterous man well-loved by his people, referred to affectionately as King Goat-chin, and that his marriage to Queen Masaki had apparently been the truest and happiest of love matches.

Before, all I knew of Crown Prince Ichigo was that he was a force to be feared on the battlefield, and assumed that his marriage was also politically driven, an arrangement that would serve to tie the royal family closer to the ruling members of their spiritual class. However, in his people's eyes, his bravery was matched only by his kindness, his strength only by his devotion to those he protected—which included his closest friends, a diverse group of powerful vampires and humans of every stripe.

The person for whom he fought the hardest, however, was the Crown Princess Orihime, described by practically everyone we met as the wisest, gentlest, and most beautiful woman in all of Enalma. Apparently, their marriage was also the culmination of a great love story, one where the prince had fallen in love with his future wife at first sight, mistaking her for a simple gardener in the Goddess's Great Temple, not realizing that in fact she was to be the next High Priestess. Their wedding, taking place ten or so years previously, was emphatically described as the event of the century. Nearly every town we visited had some memento of the day, eagerly brought out and showcased.

They talked, too, of Lady Yuzu, the baby of the family, and how she did her part in the war by running the food and supply lines, working in tandem with Princess Orihime's healing brigades. The two were in charge of the entire relief and aid operation, planning any necessary evacuations, reinforcing fortresses, and offering comfort and support to refugees, widows and their children, orphans, the injured, and the dying. Lady Yuzu was especially known for sewing clothes and making toys for the children herself and regarded by most everyone as the very picture of her dead mother, just as sweet and just as strong. And like her father and brother before her, she, too, had seemingly found happiness in love, bonding with a childhood friend, a Lord Jinta of Urahara House.

Matsumoto was extremely enamored by these love stories and enjoyed reciting them to me whenever she had the opportunity, taking them at face value and scoffing at my skepticism. Even Lady Rukia was not immune, and I saw her paying avid attention to the nightly tales.

Apparently, the only member of the royal family who had _not_ found her soul mate was the infamous Lady Karin. First Mage and Second Heir of Karakura, she was said to be nearly equal in strength to her brother, a fierce warrior and powerful mage, and beautiful enough to have any man she wanted. That last bit was often accompanied by a glare in the direction of my tent, or so Matsumoto informed me. The people were ridiculously protective of her, suspicious of me, and divided over whether or not they ought to be bringing out the wine in celebration of the upcoming nuptials ("Our Lady Karin is going to be an empress! An empress, can you believe it? 'Course, I feel sorry for those poor buggers in Seireitei—I bet they won't know what to make of her _at all_, nope, not _our_ Lady Karin. She'll have them falling at her feet in _months_.") or sharpening their scythes in protest ("Who does that fancy, arrogant princeling think he is, marrying our Lady Karin and taking her off to some Goddess-forsaken country?! Why, I hear they don't even have music or dancing or alcohol at parties over there! No alcohol! Can you imagine that? The werewolves would throw a fit if we tried that here—which is probably why they left the friggin' country in the first place. No, we can't let him marry her like this—she'll be miserable!").

Of course, any negative comments made by my guards in regards to the marriage ended in brawls. In one of the later towns, the conversation went something like so:

"What did you say?! Did you just say that it's a pity your prince is being _forced _to marry some backwater girl? Did you just say that? How dare you! Why the friggin' hell _wouldn't_ he want to marry our Lady Karin!?"

"Because he deserves an elegant, beautiful lady—not some ugly warrior Amazon!"

"Elegant lady—why, you! Lady Karin has more elegance in her little toe than all the ladies at your trumped-up court! And how dare you call Lady Karin ugly! I'm going to kill you, you stupid pig! Our Lady Karin's too good to marry a midget prince anyway!"

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING A SUPER-MIDGET PRINCE?"

Lady Rukia and Matsumoto were very annoyed at having to restore order and restrain the Seireiteian participants…which unfortunately included me (in my defense, it had been a particularly unpleasant day of traveling that included roads blocked by sheep and a violent case of food poisoning). However, they were quite willing to forgive my loss of control after the members of the town abruptly changed their opinion of me and began loudly proclaiming their approval. The three places between that town and Karasu were far more welcoming, and mentioned how they had heard that the Crown Prince of Seireitei was "a damn good fighter—could probably hold his own with a werewolf! A werewolf, I tell you! He's not just a pretty face, he's got a strong arm, too! Lady Karin'll have so much fun sparring with him! He'll _definitely_ make her happy!"

How lovely. In order to obtain the blessing of my future bride's people, all I had to do was break a couple of noses and dislocate a few arms. Perfectly civilized, was it not?

That night, I wondered what it would take to win the regard of Kurosaki House…and the regard of one member in particular.

* * *

The citizens of Karasu were made of sterner stuff, and though my reputation had almost certainly preceded us, our welcome was as frigidly polite as one might expect. We were allowed to set up camp, placed under watchful surveillance by the Quincy archers ("That bastard Ryuuken's a twitchy one, ain't he?" I'd heard Madarame say to Ayesegawa), and permitted to assist in planning the wedding. Lady Rukia and Matsumoto handled the preparations smoothly and effectively, and their brief forays into the palace yielded no hostilities, save for an unplanned sparring match between Lady Rukia and Prince Ichigo himself, as well as a few members of his Guard against the members of my personal battalion.

"The prince is one to watch," Lady Rukia had quietly declared at dinner. Only I and a few of the most trusted members of my entourage were present: Lady Rukia, Matsumoto, Madarame, Ayesegawa, and Hisagi.

Rukia ran a finger over the bandage on her arm. It was a shallow cut, nothing serious—except for the fact that she'd been cut at all. Lady Rukia was one of the best swordsmen in our entire country, personally trained by both her brother-in-law, Lord Byakuya Kuchiki, and my father, Lord Jyuushiro Ukitake. If her defense had been breached, it meant her opponent was of the highest caliber.

"Oh, so he's the one who marked you?" Matsumoto inquired. She herself hadn't been present at the match, and instead had been taken on a tour of the castle by Princess Orihime and Lady Yuzu. The gardens were apparently quite lovely, though Matsumoto expressed surprise at seeing daisies growing there, raising a pointed brow in my direction. I'd scowled; it was no secret that my mother had preferred daisies over any other flower.

"No," Rukia replied. "The prince is a good fighter, but as the match was non-magical, he was not at full strength, and his pure swordsmanship is inferior to mine."

"Really?" Matsumoto raised a brow in Rukia's direction now. "Then who cut you?"

"And why is the prince the one to watch, if he couldn't match you?" I added.

"The human-turned-vampire cut 'er." Madarame spoke around a mouthful of chicken, which he quickly downed with blood from his goblet. He stabbed a knife in my direction to emphasize his words. "That bastard redhead's a fast one, an' prob'ly the best sword they've got. Captain would love to challenge him." He was referring, of course, to Kenpachi Zaraki, one of our most effective and blood-thirstiest generals.

As Madarame went back to his food, his familiar and best friend, Ayesegawa, contributed his observations. "But for all his speed and skill, it is obvious that the former human only moves at the behest of his master."

Hisagi nodded. "The message was clear. The human-turned-vampire—this Abarai—will cut where Prince Ichigo cannot."

"They're sending Abarai as a member of Lady Karin's entourage," Rukia said. "It's a clever move—obviously, he'll be there to protect her in case of attack from either our end or Aizen's. Possibly he can even act as an assassin, close enough to threaten you or the other members of the imperial family."

Madarame snorted. "Ha! Good luck with that! Nobody's getting past us or the rest of the First Battalion. Mr. Redhead can keep his fancy moves to hisself."

Matsumoto fiddled with her wine glass. "Perhaps it isn't so bad as that. Maybe he really will be there just as a bodyguard. If I were the Karakurans, I'd be worried about sending Lady Karin away to a strange land, too. The princesses were so kind today, and obviously concerned about their sister's welfare—Lady Yuzu even asked for a picture of you to give to your bride."

I blinked in surprise. "Did you give her one?"

"No, unfortunately I didn't have one with me."

"Too bad," Ayesegawa murmured. "I'm sure Lady Karin would be comforted by the fact that her husband-to-be isn't ugly. She might even become a little infatuated once she sees you; what woman in her right mind can resist _that_ face?" He gestured towards me. "You look like one of the Night's Chosen, like a young godling, even."

I grimaced. "Thank you." Would my wife be so shallow, swayed into caring for me solely by my face? I hoped not—then again, it wasn't necessary for her to care about me at all, though I certainly hoped we could at least share friendship.

"I'm more interested in the princess herself," Rukia stated. "She didn't leave her rooms at all while we were at the palace, so we still have no first-hand knowledge of her abilities, or even what she looks like."

Hisagi shrugged. "She's powerful, at the very least. She's First Mage, isn't she?"

"Yes, but did she gain that title because of skill, or because of her royal blood?" Rukia asked.

"Skill." Matsumoto spoke firmly, her voice leaving no room for argument. "In the gardens, I sensed someone watching from the direction of her rooms, so I tried to probe the source and gauge its magical strength. The signal bounced back and forth throughout the castle before disappearing abruptly. Until it reappeared right behind me, that is. Princess Orihime apologized profusely—on behalf of Lady Karin. She said she usually didn't play such childish pranks. The head of the Palace Guard, Lady Tatsuki Arisawa, mentioned that she must've meant no harm, otherwise Ayesegawa and I would've been screaming our heads off in agony."

"So the girl's good enough to play games with an imperial familiar, and it apparently would've taken little effort to do more damage." Madarame wolf-whistled. "Caught yourself a strong one, haven't you, Your Highness? Hopefully, the rumors were right about her looks, too. You got any recon on that end, Matsumoto?"

She shook her head. "No, nothing more than the usual. She's described as tall, slim, exceedingly lovely, and as raven-haired as her sister is golden, as pale as her brother is tanned, and possessing her mother's grace and her father's eyes."

"Black, then," Lady Rukia murmured. "The king's eyes are as black as a moonless night."

"The two of you will make a striking picture." Ayesegawa's gaze lingered on my snow-white hair, on my sky-and-sea eyes. "May your union be blessed with good faith and good fortune." He raised his glass, as did the others at the table.

"May your union be blessed with good faith and good fortune, and may the Goddess smile down on your marriage always," they intoned, repeating the traditional marriage blessing amongst those of Seireitei.

"I wish for nothing else," was my traditional, scripted reply. From the carefully neutral faces of my companions, I knew they could tell it was a lie.

* * *

Staring out into the distance, I went over the facts.

The alliance with Karakura would bring us more soldiers, more supplies, more resources. It would bring us warriors like the Quincy they sent to negotiate the treaty, like Abarai—soldiers like the Vaizards, the witches, and the werewolves, a diversity in strength that we were lacking. It would bring us King Isshin's empathy instead of his enmity; the inventions of Lord Kisuke and the tactics and machinations of his wife, Lady Yoruichi; the cooperation of Exiles such as Lady Neliel and Lord Ulquiorra. It would bring us Prince Ichigo's sword, Princess Orihime's shields, and Lady Yuzu's skills.

The list of advantages went on and on. And what would it cost us? A marriage. Even then we were getting the better end of the deal—we'd gain a strong warrior to secure the imperial bloodline, a First Mage to reinforce the spells of our armies, and a powerful princess to serve as our future Empress.

And I would gain a beautiful wife, a partner I could respect.

I would gain Lady Karin Kurosaki, First Mage of the Night, Second Heir to the Throne, and Princess of Karakura, to have and to hold, until death did us part.

My thoughts quieted, the struggle in my brain ceasing as I reached the logical conclusion and accepted my fate. Only my heart still raged in protest, but I knew that it, too, would stop its complaints once Aizen was dead at my feet.

If I married Lady Karin, I would be one step closer to killing my mother's murderer. In the end, that was the fact that decided me.

I would go through with the marriage.

Sighing, I turned around and began running back towards my camp—the others would soon notice my disappearance, and I doubted they would be forgiving of my actions. I could hear Matsumoto now, scolding me for traveling alone, without a guard, out in the open where a horde of Hollows might attack at any—

Shrieks rent the silence of the night.

I smiled grimly to myself. I should have known better than to tempt the Goddess. Oh, well. At least now I had something to distract me.

I drew my sword.

* * *

**Endnote: And next chapter, they'll actually meet. :) **

**To all of you who have forlornly given up on the hope of us ever updating, we are extremely sorry and extremely grateful if you're reading this anyway. Real life kinda…took over. Good stuff happened, bad stuff happened, but we finally made it back to the world of fanfic authorhood. Don't know how long we'll be staying, but we're grateful anyway to all of you, especially those who who've been here from the beginning. Thank you also to those of you who wandered over while we were absent, and those who are just discovering us now. We're glad you've read our work and we hope you have enjoyed/are enjoying/will enjoy it. :)**

**Thank you to everyone who's reviewed/alerted/favorited this story and/or us. :D**

**Special thanks goes to the following people for reviewing the last chapter: Shizuku700, Furionknight, self-is-illusion, byinj, Hakkuchi, MisplacedWit, moon shining wolf, & HitsuKarin Lurver. You guys make our day! :D (If we have forgotten you or spelled your name wrong, please tell us and we will correct the error immediately.)**

**Thank you so much, and please tell us what you think!**


	5. Sky Meets Storm

**Author Note: Hello, everyone! Welcome to the fifth installment of **_**Where Angels Fear to Tread**_**. We hope you enjoy it!**

**Normal = prose, **_**italics**_** = thoughts or inner conversations. **

**Warning: Though the main pairing is HitsuKarin, there will be mentions of IchiHime, RenRuki, JintaYuzu, and a whole bunch of other couples. In addition, there will be violence and death and lots and lots of blood. If you don't like, don't read. Thank you. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. However, if there was an alternate universe where I do own Bleach, I will promptly give my left arm to switch with my other self. :)**

* * *

**Chapter Five: Sky Meets Storm**

* * *

**+++ Toushirou+++**

* * *

Stepping back into a battle stance, I quickly assessed the situation. There were a great number of low-level Hollows attacking, a force of around twenty, far more than I would have expected this close to Karasu. This fact was slightly alarming; Aizen was growing bolder by the hour, if he would so casually invade the interior of an enemy kingdom.

No matter. _I_ was here, and I would be more than enough to stop them. I raised my sword and prepared myself to meet the oncoming assault.

Shrieking wildly and mad with hunger, the lowest-level Hollows lunged forward without reservation, eager to rip my throat out and suck me dry. Within seconds, they'd closed the gap and the fastest of the lot reached out with lightning-fast reflexes. Unfortunately for him, I was faster. Before he could reach me, I thrust my sword through his eye, slicing with a sideways motion that sent the tip through the neck of the one beside him.

As their bodies fell lifelessly to the ground, I stepped aside and swung my blade in a deadly arc, killing several that tried to attack me from behind. More rushed forward, and I nimbly dodged their fangs and claws, weaving through them easily and stabbing my sword through the many openings in their defenses. Diving into the fray, I slashed and hacked my way through the mass of Hollows, knowing that it was best to dispose of them as quickly as possible, before their regenerative powers kicked in.

The Hollowfication process left most of its victims with little to no mental capacity, apparently substituting intelligence for raw instinct—in most cases, the urge to feed. Any capable warrior, whether human or vampire, could defeat low-level Hollows with ease, and even groups of civilians could take on individual Hollows if they were careful and determined enough, despite the Hollows' advantages of vampiric speed and strength. Yet Hollows also possessed the benefit of superior numbers, usually attacking in large groups like the one I faced now and eventually overwhelming their opponents through a seemingly endless stream of mindless killing machines. This tactic, however, was not as efficient against high-caliber warriors such as myself, especially since we were too far from Las Noches for more reinforcements to arrive. That meant all I had to do was finish this group off, and I would be the victor.

I drew my sword back to deal the final blow to the last, writhing Hollow on the ground when yet another horde of them emerged from behind a hill to my right, screaming wildly and running straight towards me.

"Oh, for the love of the Goddess," I muttered. "There's more of them? I can't believe that the Karakurans' defenses are _this_ bad—"

"Come back here, you stupid, fangless morons! I'm not done killing you yet!"

"What in the name of Night—?" I said, staring.

A girl around my own physical age* appeared right on their heels, carelessly waving a sword around. The sword itself was obviously magical, covered in battle runes that were currently glowing fire-brand red to match its wielder's temper. The girl—no, the _warrior _wore plain black clothes that helped her blend into the shadows, scuffed leather boots, and a sturdy, weathered cloak with a slight sheen to it that suggested it was overlaid with a protection spell. The hood was raised and obscured the wearer's features, though I made out the curve of a pale cheek spattered with blood.

If the Hollows fleeing frantically towards me were any indication, the blood wasn't hers. And judging from her sword, stance, and (quickly gauging her aura like I should have the instant she appeared, had I not been distracted by her unorthodox yelling) power level, it would be more accurate to say the Hollows weren't running towards me but rather _away_ from her. While screaming in terror.

Hollows weren't usually smart enough to be afraid, yet they were retreating in self-preservation?

_Who the bloody moonslight _is_ this girl?_ I thought.

* * *

I had no further time to ponder the question, though, as the fast-moving Hollows finally reached me and my attention was momentarily diverted with removing their limbs and cutting up their internal organs.

The newcomer, however, was not as distracted.

"Hey! You! Who the hell are you? And stop killing those Hollows! They're mine!"

Stabbing a particularly ugly Hollow through the heart, I said, "Then you're welcome to have them! It's not my fault you corralled them here and they attacked me—I'm only defending myself!"

The warrior suddenly appeared a few feet to my left, her amazing speed marking her as a vampire. She moved with an easy, instinctive grace, and she casually swung her sword as if it were an extension of her own body. Watching her from the corner of my eye, I noted that her reflexes were top-notch, her footwork and stance were impeccable, and her attacks were quick, powerful, and viciously effective. It was obvious that she was a highly skilled fighter, and an experienced one at that. However, my growing respect for her was doused by her next words: "Yeah? Well, defend yourself elsewhere, you bloody Seireiteian lapdog!"

"_Lapdog_?" I spluttered in outrage. "Do you have any idea who you're speaking to, you—you—you bloodthirsty maniac!" In all fairness, she was probably a mid-ranking officer, despite her skill, judging from the fact that she'd apparently been stuck with guard duty (what was she doing out here, anyway? It was the middle of nowhere, miles from Karasu…). So she probably couldn't have known that I was the Crown Prince of Seireitei, but that was still no reason to be so rude and accusatory. And what exactly about me suggested that I was a lapdog? People told me all the time that I had a regal air, damn it!

She laughed mirthlessly. "No, and I don't care to either! I'd rather be a maniac any day than a stuck-up idiot from Seireitei who doesn't even have the decency to stay out of other people's fights!"

"They—attacked—me!" I managed to get out between blows.

"Excuses!" She brutally beheaded one Hollow and kicked another's balls.

"Well, I'm _sorry _for not"—I smacked a Hollow with the flat of my blade—"sitting on the sidelines"—dodged an attack —"and waiting for you to rescue me"—rammed my blade though someone's intestines—"while Hollows gnawed"—and sliced through another's throat—"on my femur!"

"How dare you!" she screamed as she elbowed a stupid-looking one in the nose—"As if I'd even let them"—punched another in the gut—"get past your foot!"—and hacked another one at the knees. "I'd have finished them before that!"

"Maybe, but you could at least do me the courtesy of thanking me for my help!" Out of Hollows to kill, I angrily sheathed my sword and turned to face her.

She slid her sword out of the last Hollow's chest before brandishing the weapon in my direction. "I don't _want _your help!"

"But you certainly need it!" I shot back. "Or I wouldn't even be here in the first place! I'd be back home, miles away from this Goddess-forsaken country and its ignorant, ungrateful citizens and crazy warrior-women. But as it stands, your country is obviously too thinly stretched if they can't even spare more than one guard to take care of hordes like this." I gestured towards the corpses surrounding us.

Though the hood of her cloak still covered her eyes, I could feel the palpable force of her glare. "You take that back! Karakura's defenses are the best in the world! If I hadn't been here, more soldiers would've taken them out as soon as our ward spells located where the Garganta had been opened!" She was referring, of course, to the method of traveling the traitor Mayuri Kurotsuchi had devised for Aizen. "I bet they'll be here any second now! And if you think our country is so weak, why would you even ally with us? Answer that! Or do you just not want to admit that you need our help, too?"

I furrowed my brow, ignoring the last bit of her speech and focusing on something else she'd said. "What do you mean, 'If you hadn't been here'? Isn't this your guard post?" I said, vaguely puzzled.

She turned her face away from me. "None of your damn business, Seireiteian. Now head back to your camp before I arrest you for spying."

"Hmph. You're one of the Duke of Quincy's people, aren't you?"

Definite glare there, mixed with a long, deeply suspicious stare. "What makes you say that, Seireiteian?"

"The excessive paranoia. I'm certain it's catching, as all his subordinates seem to be infected." I rolled my eyes and turned away, fully intending to do as she said (the others would notice my absence soon, and I had no desire to be the cause of rumors about "spying, lying Seireiteians"). However, I halted, startled a bit as she suddenly laughed. When I turned to look at her, she had a hand over her mouth, as if to prevent another sound from escaping.

I raised a brow. "What? Do you disagree with my assessment?"

She shook her head. "No, I find it very accurate. Un—Lord Ryuuken is certainly paranoid." She relaxed her shoulders and finally sheathed her sword. "You—you're kind of funny, aren't you?" she said, her tone bewildered, a little incredulous, and ever so slightly amused.

I took my time before answering, not sure where she was going with this. If this was an interrogation, there were certainly other, better questions to ask. "Good funny or bad funny?"

She frowned, the action accentuating the curve of her lips, which were a pale pink. Now that the fighting was over, her face seemed to be far less imposing and harsh than I'd first supposed. "Well, both, I guess. Good funny, because you made the joke about Lord Ryuuken, and I wasn't expecting that." She grinned suddenly, revealing even, white teeth. "Yet you're here in the middle of nowhere"—she waved a hand—"which doesn't serve much purpose if you _are _a spy. Plus, you help me without hesitation and haven't tried attacking me. Which definitely makes you funny, as in strange-funny."

"Oh, for Goddess's sake, I'm not a spy! I just needed fresh air and some time away from other people, though that plan's failed miserably. And I just happened to run into you—_why_ would I attack you?" I asked, exasperated.

"Well…I have been a bit…caustic."

I snorted. "That's certainly true, but it's still no reason to harm you. The whole treaty could be jeopardized if I did that—and you were right earlier, when you said Seireitei needed your help. Hurting you would hurt my country, and I'd never do that."

"Hmmm. So the alliance is important to your side, too, huh?" She tilted her head to the side as she spoke, curiously regarding me.

"Of course it is! Why the bloody moon would we offer a marriage with our Crown Prince to solidify it?" I decided to refrain from revealing my identity. This warrior was definitely on the "not-good-enough-for-our-princess/all-Seireiteians -are-evil-bastards" side. No point in antagonizing her, especially since she seemed to have calmed down. Maybe I could even change her mind about my country a little, if I played my cards right. _Both sides need to cooperate to make this alliance work, Toushirou_, my father had said.

She shrugged. "You never know. Maybe he couldn't find a wife in his own country because no one wanted him? I hear he's short, so that might be a turn-off."

"Who the hell are you calling _short_!?" I raged, angered beyond belief by the reference to my height. Goddess curse them, I was 5'9"! I wasn't _that _short!

The mysterious woman added insult to injury by doubling over and laughing at me. Laughing! And this time, she didn't even have the decency to try and stop.

"Alright, alright, you are definitely _good _funny," she said once she got her breath back. "Oh, Goddess, I haven't laughed like that in _days_." She tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear. "Mmm, I guess Lady Nel was right, and we do have things in common with your people. We Karakurans are equally protective of our royal family, and get ridiculously insulted at any insult, whether real or imagined."

Mollified somewhat, since she seemed to be laughing at my reaction and not my height, I replied, "I've noticed," thinking about the various townspeople I encountered on my journey. The warrior, however, blushed.

"Ah, yes…sorry about that. I guess I really was sort of…well, I was horrible to you, wasn't I?" she said, her tone full of chagrin, obviously thinking I was referring to her.

I carefully kept my expression neutral, though the urge to smirk was nearly overwhelming. The girl wasn't nearly so difficult to deal with when she made an effort to be nice. "Apology accepted. After all, I _did _steal your fight, which no gentleman should do."

This time, she tossed her head back as she laughed, her hood falling off as she did so, finally affording me a full view of her face. She was striking, beautiful, even, in a fierce sort of way, and when her eyes at last met mine, they were pitch-black and full of warmth and humor. She didn't speak, but instead held out a hand. I clasped it and shook it firmly, noticing the calluses on it, no doubt earned from years of holding a sword. Something in me was inordinately gratified that a warrior of her caliber acknowledged me.

Letting go, she spoke once more. "Almost-apology accepted. After all, a lady ought to share." She winked at me. "Especially if the gentleman is a damn good fighter."

I smiled faintly. "In comparison to you? Hardly. The lady is far too generous with her compliments."

"Oh, please! I saw the way you leveled those Hollows. You must be a member of Prince Toushirou's Guard—oh, er, wrong word. What do your people call it? The First Battalion?" She looked at me quizzically, eyebrows raised expectantly.

I made a sudden, impulsive decision. "No, I'm not. You see, _I'm_ actually—"

Her eyes widened in shock. "Watch out!"

She pushed me aside and drew her sword, facing a mid-level Hollow, a Gillian, which had suddenly materialized from a Garganta behind me. Protecting me had cost her a few precious seconds of time, however, and the Gillian managed to land a blow to her head before she could attack. Undeterred, she dealt it a killing blow then inexplicably tossed her sword aside to confront the horde of Gillians now emerging from the Garganta.

"What are you doing?!" I screamed, drawing my own blade.

She didn't answer, instead raising her hands, which were—glowing? Her hands were glowing and I could suddenly make out her voice murmuring a low, guttural chant that rose in volume as she gathered more and more power.

"And I bare my fangs and _leap_, and I bare my fangs and _fly_, and I bare my fangs and _kill_, and I devour the _throat _of my enemy, the open throat of my _enemy_, the open throat of my enemy _lies_ before me, and _Death _shall close it, and_ Death_ shall close it, and _Death_ shall open its gates and **CLOSE IT**!"

Lightning shot from her hands into the Garganta, and screams of dying Hollows filled the air as the Garganta disappeared. The warrior—no, the warrior-_mage_ lowered her hands, breathing heavily, her body trembling from the aftershocks.

I stared in shock. She had _closed _a Garganta. I couldn't believe it—only first-degree mages could do that.

For the second time in as many hours, I thought, _Who the bloody moonslight_ is _this girl?_

Once again, however, I had no time to dwell on it, as the girl in question suddenly collapsed.

"Miss!" I yelled. Running to her side and kneeling down, I turned her over to see that her eyes were closed and she was unconscious. She was also bleeding from a wound on her head, and although I felt her pulse when I checked on it, it was weak and sluggish.

Cursing, I picked her up and started running as quickly as possible towards my camp. This girl had just risked her life to save mine; there was no way I was letting her lose hers.

* * *

Within minutes we were in sight of the tents, and I muttered a quick prayer of thanks to the Goddess that she had not worsened during that time. However, my relief was short-lived as I noticed the amount of people bustling about and the frantic air that surrounded them. Slowing down, I approached the nearest guard. "What is going on?" I demanded, my tone harsh.

"Your Highness!" A look of utter relief crossed his face before he abruptly saluted. "Thank the Goddess, you've returned!" He turned around and raised his left hand, sending a signal out throughout the camp.

"Answer the question, Tsubokura," I prompted, more than a little exasperated.

He opened his mouth to reply, shooting a curious look at the girl in my arms, before he was interrupted.

"Your Highness! Where have you been!?" Matsumoto yelled, running towards me. She was quickly followed by the rest of my entourage, who came to a halt as they noticed my passenger. "Who's that?" she asked, her tone suspicious.

"She's—" I paused, suddenly aware that I didn't even know the warrior's name. "She saved my life."

An outburst of exclamations greeted my announcement.

"She _what_? What the bloody moon happened to you?"

"Where did you _go_?"

"How in the name of the Night did she save you?"

"Was it Aizen?"

"Don't tell me it was the Karakurans! I'll murder them!"

"Are you hurt? Oh, Goddess, please tell us you're not hurt, the Emperor will have our heads!"

"Calm down!" I shouted. Blessed silence fell, and my entourage looked at me with slightly panicked eyes. I frowned. They were unshakeable at the worst of times, cool-headed in the heat of battle, yet now they wore anxious looks and stressed expressions. I could see why my disappearance would cause concern, but they ought to have known me well enough not to worry; I could take care of myself. No, something else had happened, something dire.

"We're going to my tent. I'm calling a meeting," I said curtly, stalking off in that direction, and ignoring Hisagi's attempts to take the girl from me, knowing they would follow me without hesitation.

As I walked through the camps, I made sure to keep my face expressionless, save for a look of confidence. A commander needed to provide a show of strength for his troops, and as I'd lead men and women into battle for years, I was well-versed in the art of projecting a façade of calm and control, even if I was feeling anything but. By the time we got to my tents, the aura of tension and panic had eased considerably.

Walking straight into the large tent set up for my benefit, I deposited the Karakuran on my bed, making sure she was comfortable before shooting a look at Lady Rukia. "She's suffered a blow to the head from a Gillian and is exhausted from performing a spell of the First Magnitude. Her injuries were incurred on my behalf, and you will treat her as you would me. Is that understood?"

She nodded silently and stepped up the bedside her hands already shining with energy.*

Madarame, in contrast, was not so easily distracted. "A_ Gillian_? You were attacked by a Gillian?"

I closed my eyes and tried to get a grip on my already frayed temper. "I'll answer your questions later. First of all, will someone tell me what in the name of Night is going on?!"

My entourage exchanged uneasy looks before answering.

"The princess has disappeared," Matsumoto said.

I stared, stupefied. _"What?"_

"Your fiancée's run off," Madarame said bluntly. "'Course, the Karakurans refuse to believe it, and think we kidnapped her for some nefarious reason.

"What? Why would we have her?" I exclaimed.

Ayesegawa shrugged. "Don't ask me to explain the inner workings of imbeciles. They won't even talk to us now, and I'm pretty sure they're mustering their forces to invade the camp."

"They're preparing to attack us already? How did negotiations break down so quickly?" I immediately started pacing the room in agitation. Didn't the Karakurans recognize that dissolving the alliance could only benefit one person? "Why don't they see that the most likely suspect is Aizen? By the Goddess, this would suit his plans perfectly!"

Hisagi and Madarame exchanged looks.

"What?" I barked out.

"Well, you see, the main suspect isn't Aizen 'cuz when the Karakurans demanded entry to the camp we told 'em no on the account that they needed Your Imperial Majesty's permission, right?" Madarame said. "Problem is, we had to keep saying no 'cuz a certain Imperial Majesty _wasn't where he was supposed to be_." Madarame glared at me accusingly.

"And we couldn't very well tell them you were missing, my prince," Matsumoto said. "It would've looked…bad."

"'Disastrous' is the word you're looking for, my dear," Ayesegawa quipped dryly.

"And then that hoity-toity prince o' theirs demanded to speak to you face to face," Madarame continued, prowling around the tent now, his voice devolving into the rough speech patterns of his youth in his agitation.

"…and we said no," Hisagi said. "So they think we _definitely_ have the princess."

"And now they won't even talk to us! Last man we sent to try and calm them down was shot! Shot! That bastard Ryuuken got Aramaki right below the heart. If he hadn't'a been a familiar, he'd'a died!" Madarame growled.

"Where were you, my prince?" Hisagi asked quietly, the faintest note of unease in his voice. "For a while, we thought the worst—that Aizen had somehow kidnapped both you and the princess, but now…"

_Where were you when we needed you most?_

The question remained unasked, but the weight of guilt still settled in my heart. I should've been here for this. I closed my eyes for a moment, then opened them and sighed.

"I went for a walk, a few miles away. I needed…I needed some space. I realize it was selfish of me, and I am sorry I was not here when you needed me, but I honestly thought I would be back hours before now," I said regretfully.

Matsumoto reached out a hand and gently touched my arm. "What happened?"

I took a deep breath and recounted my tale. At the end of it, Madarame looked at the girl in the bed and whistled. "Closed a Garganta down, by herself? Girl's strong, alright. What's her name again? Captain'd love to spar with her if'n he gets a chance."

I shook my head. "I didn't catch her name."

Matsumoto drew her brows together. "So we don't know anything about her?" She looked at the Karakuran doubtfully. "My prince, she could be a spy from Aizen! What if she had something to do with the princess's disappearance? We need to—"

"We need to let her recover." I said firmly, my tone brooking no argument. "She saved my life, and she didn't even know who I was. Aizen's spies would be better informed. She's a Karakuran, the current subject of my future wife, and a warrior in her army. For that reason alone, we will treat her with respect, and once she wakes, we will send her back to the castle with an escort."

Madarame snorted. "And what, have the escort crawl back after Ryuuken's people put an arrow in their gut?"

Rukia, having finished her task, dissented. "No. I think the prince is right. Perhaps the girl can convince them that we are honorable and that our word can be trusted. At the very least, she will provide an impeccable alibi for the prince."

Hisagi murmured thoughtfully. "Yes, we could definitely use this to our advantage. She must be high-ranking, after all, to perform such a spell."

Ayesegawa frowned. "But she was stuck with guard duty! In the middle of nowhere!"

"Under that bastard Ryuuken's orders. She's one of his people right?" Madarame's voice was calmer now, back to his normal way of speaking. "I bet you a million gold coins the paranoid sadist sent her there to make sure there really would be no spies from our end. She was in a field completely opposite our camp, right? If I had a twisted brain like that bastard, I'd think that we'd think to send somebody where nobody else would think to put someone, unless that someone was us."

We all stared at him blankly before Ayesegawa interpreted. "He's saying that Lord Ryuuken stationed her there as a precaution, just in case we got any smart ideas."

"Oh, I could buy that," Matsumoto said, chuckling wryly. "But still, are we certain…?"

Rukia, still sitting by the unconscious warrior, nodded. She held up the girl's wrist, pointing to a wooden bracelet there. "Look here—it's a werewolf clan marker, used to identify their members. It's something Aizen would be unable to replicate, since all werewolves live in Karakura, and most are promise-bound to commit suicide before being captured by the enemy."

Seeing as Rukia was the cultural specialist of Karakura, and had in fact been in training to become an ambassador here, I could see the rest of my entourage was reassured. Ayesegawa even wandered to the bedside to take a closer look at the item of jewelry. "What are those scratches on it? Some kind of decoration?" he inquired.

"It's writing, actually. Wolfscript, which was designed to be written regardless of whether the author was in human or wolf form, hence the rather…unsophisticated characters."

"Can you read it?" Matsumoto asked. "Maybe it could tell us who she is."

Rukia shook her head. "I'm not well-versed enough to understand it completely, but see these three signs here?" She pointed to specific marks on the bracelet. "It says 'Clan Kuroda.'"

"Like the member of the princess's entourage?" I said. "Clan-Heir Izumi Kuroda, right?"

Everybody suddenly stilled.

"You don't think—" Madarame began.

"—that this girl was helping the princess run away to escape the marriage, do you?" Ayesegawa finished. "Is she this Izumi?"

"But Izumi's supposed to be a werewolf! You said this girl was a vampire, didn't you, my prince?" Matsumoto exclaimed.

"Yes, of course she is! Read her aura, for Goddess's sake," Ayesegawa interrupted.

"Then why is she—? Oh, she's a Vaizard, isn't she?" Matsumoto looked at the girl with renewed interest. "My, I've never seen one this close before, and would you hush, Yumichika! You know Lady Lisa doesn't really count—this is a Vaizard in her natural environment! Anyway, her being a Vaizard explains everything!"

"Except who she is and what she was doing before Hollows attacked," Hisagi said.

"Hrmmm?"

All eyes turned to the girl lying on the bed.

"Wha' happened?" she mumbled, opening her eyes and staring blearily at us. "Where'm I?"

* * *

**Endnote: **

***A/N 1: In this story, vampires age half as slowly as regular humans (familiars, witches, & werewolves age differently, too), and as Toushirou is 38, that makes him physically 19. Just a reminder. ;) **

***A/N 2: Yes, we're making Rukia a healer, or at least capable of healing in this story. Please refer to the early manga chapters when she would heal Ichigo to understand the basis of this facet of her character.**

**To those of you whom I told that the wedding would be the next chapter, I lied. Certain things got longer than expected, and the wedding has been pushed back to the chapter after next. However, we do promise to update this again a week from now, and entice you with a potential Toushirou v. Ichigo smackdown. Anyway, we hope you enjoyed the story and will continue to enjoy it! **

**Thank you to everyone who's reviewed/alerted/favorited this story and/or us. :D**

**Special thanks goes to the following people for reviewing the last chapter: FlyingLikeAButterfly, Furionknight, Hakkuchi, HitsuKarin Lurver, Cecelia Haunt, Eekhoorntjes, and a Guest. ;) You guys make our day! :D (If we have forgotten you or spelled your name wrong, please tell us and we will correct the error immediately.)**

**Thank you so much, and please tell us what you think!**


	6. Clash of the Elements

**Author Note: Hello, everyone! Welcome to the sixth installment of **_**Where Angels Fear to Tread**_**. We hope you enjoy it!**

**Normal = prose, **_**italics**_** = thoughts or inner conversations. **

**Warning: Though the main pairing is HitsuKarin, there will be mentions of IchiHime, RenRuki, JintaYuzu, and a whole bunch of other couples. In addition, there will be violence and death and lots and lots of blood. If you don't like, don't read. Thank you. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. However, if there was an alternate universe where I do own Bleach, I will promptly give my left arm to switch with my other self. :)**

* * *

**Chapter Six: Clash of the Elements**

* * *

**+++ Toushirou+++**

* * *

"You're awake!" Matsumoto cried out, clapping. "That's wonderful!"

Rukia peered closely at her pupils, checking for signs of magical backlash. "Hello, Miss. You're in Crown Prince Toushirou's tent in the Seireitei camps, and we'll be happy to send you back to the castle as soon as you answer a few questions for us."

At those words, Kuroda sat bolt upright. "Questions! What! Who are you people! Stop poking at me, I'm fine!" That last sentence was said directly to Rukia as Kuroda smacked her hands away.

"Calm down," I said evenly. Her eyes finally met mine, and she stilled.

"You," she said. "You're the funny guy."

My mouth quirked slightly; really, this girl. "Yes," I answered, "I'm the funny guy."

"Also known as His Imperial Highness, Guardian of the Skies, and Heir to the Winter Throne, Crown Prince Toushirou Hitsugaya," Ayesegawa inserted helpfully.

My guest's reaction was immediate and extreme: her mouth dropped open and her eyes widened in shock. "You're _who_? That's a joke, right? I mean, come on, you're not even short!"

My eye twitched as the other people in my tent tried to (unsuccessfully) stifle their laughter. "I was trying to tell you that earlier."

She ignored me, instead choosing to mutter to herself as she held her head in her hands. "Can't be…no…that's impossible…the prince…funny guy? _Really?_ I've got to be dreaming…yes, dreaming…gonna wake up any second now…"

"About those questions, Miss?" Rukia interrupted, gently pulling her arms down.

Abruptly, Kuroda went quiet for a few moments. "…I have nothing to say to you, Seireiteian."

"That's Lady Rukia Hiruzen you're addressing, Karakuran," Madarame growled. "Show 'er your respect."

Rukia waved her hand. "It's fine, it's fine, Captain Madarame. Now, Miss, you don't have to say anything at all, really. Just…look here for me, please? Thank you. Now here? And here? Do you feel dizzy? You can shake your head 'no.' Alright. Do you feel tired? Mmhm. That's an expected side-effect from healing you. Now, do you have any—stop glaring at her, Captain Madarame! Do you want me to throw my bunny's foot at you?"

"You have a bunny's foot?" Kuroda asked, incredulous.

"Yes, attached to the rest of the bunny, of course. It's quite effective for getting people to _shut up_."

"I didn't say anything!"

"Your eyes were doing enough talking for the rest of you! If you don't have anything useful to do, get out!"

Kuroda laughed at Madarame's affronted expression, and I could see the others lowering their guard around her slightly. She did tend to have that effect on people, I'd noticed, despite my short acquaintance with her.

Rukia finished the last of her examinations and sat back, apparently reassured. "Alright, that will be all, Miss. You've answered all our questions, and we'll let you go as soon as possible."

"That's it? Really?" she said, clutching the covers to her tightly. "You don't even want to know who I am?"

"Well, a first name would be nice, but we've already deduced from your bracelet that you're a Kuroda, and from your vampiric aura that you're a Vaizard, correct?" Ayesegawa raised his brow expectantly.

"My bracelet…oh!" She held her wrist against her chest. "Seireiteians can read wolfscript?" She looked at us suspiciously.

"This Seireiteian can." Hisagi nodded at Rukia.

Rukia smiled. "Mmhm. I'm better at witch-glyphs, though." She extended her hand. "Lady Rukia Hiruzen of Inazuri, at your service."

"Rangiku Matsumoto, Imperial Familiar," Matsumoto said, waving. "And that's Lord Shuuhei Hisagi of the Nine Towers; Yumichika Ayesegawa, also an Imperial Familiar; Captain Ikkaku Madarame of the First Battalion; and, of course, you've already met His Imperial Highness."

I nodded and tried not to take it personally when she winced. "Oh. I was hoping I misheard that part," she said, staring at me like I'd grown two extra heads. I scowled. Really, I didn't _mean_ to keep my identity from her.

"Because you called him short? Don't worry, other Karakurans have called him worse." Matsumoto grinned widely. "Personally, I liked 'Pygmy Princeling' best, though Yumichika thinks 'Vertically-challenged Virgin' is the winner."

"Matsumoto!" I yelled, angry.

"Oh, hush, my prince, we're only trying to make her feel at home. We need her on our side, remember?"

Kuroda's eyes narrowed. "On your side for what?"

"Well, you see, there's this teensy, weensy little problem—"

"Your princess jilted lover-boy here," Madarame said bluntly.

She gaped at us. _"What?"_

Ayesegawa tilted his head to the side. "Hmmm. Well, either she's the most brilliant actress I've ever seen, or she has nothing to do with the Karakuran princess's disappearance."

"_Disappearance?_ Don't tell me—they wouldn't—oh, of course they would, this is Unc—Lord Ryuuken we're talking about. Oh, Goddess, we're in so much trouble!" Kuroda threw the covers off of her and tried to stand up, "tried" being the operative word. "Oof!"

"Careful, careful! You still haven't fully recovered yet! You shouldn't get up!"

"I told you, I'm fine! I need to get to the castle immediately! Where's my sword?!"

"Now, now, let's not be too hasty. If we send you back in this condition, your escort will come back doubling as an arrow quiver."

"That's an understatement."

"Be quiet, Ikkaku. Now, Miss, do you think you could put in a good word for us? Tell them we didn't kidnap the princess?"

"And mention that we healed you!"

"And we didn't hold you against your will or torture you!"

"And that our prince couldn't have kidnapped your princess because he was killing Hollows with you! He needs the alibi!"

The volume in the room kept on getting louder and louder as Kuroda tried to leave the tent and Matsumoto, Ayesegawa, and Rukia tried to keep her there without injuring her.

"Would you let me go! I said, let me go! You don't understand! I'm—" Her voice suddenly cut off as her eyes rolled back into her head.

Rukia sighed as she and Ayesegawa placed her back in bed. "I _told _her not to get up. She still needs to rest a bit more."

I stared at the once-again unconscious girl for a few moments before moving to the corner, retrieving her sword, and laying it by her side.

"We're in quite the mess, aren't we?" Ayesegawa exhaled.

I opened my mouth to issue a few orders when the tent flaps burst open and a messenger entered the room. "Captain Madarame! The Karakurans are here! Prince Ichigo wants to speak to His Imperial Highness!"

Glancing at the other occupants, I frowned slightly. "Well, let's go meet him, shall we?"

* * *

I strode confidently to the edge of our camp, my entourage following close behind me in a defensive formation. Truthfully, I didn't need the messenger to show me where the Karakuran prince was; anyone with the slightest hint of sensory abilities could feel his aura blasting at them from miles away, full of rage and impatience and…worry?

I shook my head. Now was not the time to dwell on such things, not when we were literally defenseless, crouched at our enemy's feet. The same enemy which boasted some of the best warriors on the continent, including the one I could see angrily pacing just before the entrance of the camp, his sword strapped to his side, his orange hair acting as both beacon and proof of his identity.

Crown Prince Ichigo Kurosaki, Black Knight of Karakura.

Turning, he caught sight of me and immediately stopped. "You!" he cried, stalking towards me.

I held up a hand to forestall my people, who were already tense enough without the added threat of a rampaging adversary. The last thing we needed was someone defending me and giving the Karakurans an excuse to attack while getting themselves killed in the process. The prince was too dangerous for any of them to face, not to mention I could also see several people in Quincy livery on the battlements, trigger-happy fingers tight on their crossbows. Normal archers wouldn't be a problem, but Quincy archers had the best aim in the world and magically-reinforced bows—and their sights were currently set on us. In addition, accompanying the prince were several of their strongest fighters, or so I assumed from their auras.

"Goddess help us, are they really planning on killing the _heir_ of Seireitei?" Yumichika murmured behind me as they spread out behind me. The prince's retainers arranged themselves in a similar fashion behind him, and it seemed as if the whole camp held its breath.

I tilted my head slightly, giving Kurosaki the barest of acknowledgements. "Prince Ichigo. Welcome to our camp."

The prince ignored me, but several of his retainers bowed deeply in answer.

_Who are they?_ I asked Matsumoto, speaking through the mental link that bonded us as vampire and familiar.

_The tall, dark-skinned one is Yasutora. He's a werewolf, strong, close-range fighter. The redhead covered in tattoos is Abarai, vampire, master swordsman, mid-to-long-range fighter. To his left is Ulquiorra, True Exile, pre-cog, fast, long-range. The woman next to him is Arisawa, vampire, hand-to-hand combat expert, specializing in close quarters, but fights at all ranges. To her right is Urahara, the woman next to him I don't know, but I think she's a werewolf, aura's strong, not much I can sense beyond that. And I can also sense Ishida on the wall._ Matsumoto relayed the information to me as quickly as possible, concentrating on the battle statistics, filling me in on the abilities of the people I didn't recognize, much like she did when we were in the field.

_Thank you_, I said, breaking off the conversation as Kurosaki continued to stalk towards me.

"You cowardly bastard! Where is she!?" he yelled.

"Lady Karin is not here," I replied, my tone calm and my face carefully expressionless. I had no doubt I could match him in a fight, but I did not want to expose my people to danger, let alone endanger the alliance. "We would be happy to lend our people in a search—"

"Save your lies for the priests, Seireiteian," he spat out. "We know you have her! Where else could she be?"

"We do not know," I replied, using the formal imperial "We" and continuing to ignore his breach of conduct. "Perhaps Aizen kidnapped her."

"Impossible! Our wards can keep out anyone of Vasto Lorde rank or higher!"

"Then perhaps she felt she could not go through with the marriage."

The prince stopped a few inches away from me, so that we ended up standing toe to toe. He glared at me, his eyes fierce and his frame trembling from the force of his rage. It seemed the rumors about the Karakuran prince being ruled by his heart over his head were true. "Karin would_ never_ run from her duty. I should kill you where you stand for even implying it. I don't know what you could possibly seek to gain from this, but give her back and we will spare your lives."

"For now," murmured a tall, black-haired woman with a scarf obscuring her face—the one Matsumoto didn't recognize—too quietly for anyone without heightened senses to hear.

"We wish with all our heart that we could comply with your request, but alas, the princess is not here," I said firmly.

"If she isn't here, why didn't you let us search the camp, huh?"

"We were indisposed at the time you made the request. We apologize for any inconvenience, but the fact remains that you are wasting your time looking for her here, and that the longer you continue to do so, the more likely it is that my future bride might be harmed."

At the word "bride," Kurosaki's face contorted, and he finally lost his tenuous hold on his temper. "Give her back! Give her back, you Seireiteian bastard! Give her back right now! To hell with you and to hell with the marriage! We don't need allies who'd harm an innocent girl for whatever sick, twisted reason you have! Give my sister back and _get out of my country_!"

In a movement so fast that I could barely see it, he drew his sword. Anticipating his attack, I jumped back and dropped my hand to my hilt, ready to do the same.

"Ichigo, no!" cried one of his people. It was too late, however, and he reared his arm back to swing—

Only for his blade to meet resistance.

"Enough, Ichigo," Kisuke Urahara intoned, a single finger holding Kurosaki's sword back. "Would you throw away the future of Karakura?"

"For Karin? Yes," he replied, his voice low. Nevertheless, he seemed to have gained better control of himself and sheathed his sword, throwing it to Abarai while Urahara moved back to his former position. The prince turned back to face me and nodded at the soldiers behind me, all of whom had drawn their weapons when he had. "Tell your people to stand down."

"Do not give us orders, Kurosaki," I said. "The weapons remain in their hands until you are gone from our camp."

He smirked, though his eyes remained serious. "Let us search your camp, Seireiteian, then you have my word that we will leave—and so can you."

I nodded. "Fair enough." Stepping back, I held out my arm in a gesture of welcome. "Feel free to do."

Never taking his eyes off mine, he stepped back and put several yards of distance between us, then raised his voice once more. "Tatsuki!"

"I heard!" the other black-haired woman—Arisawa—replied. She clapped her hands together and closed her eyes, and suddenly I could feel a wave of energy burst out from her and move through me, past me.

_What's she doing?_ I asked Matsumoto. My familiar didn't answer me verbally at first, though I could feel a sense of intense shock. _Matsumoto?_

_Sh-she's sensing!_ she replied. _She cast out some of her aura and she's probing for the princess in the camps, trying to get a lock on her aura!_

_Can she do that?_ I asked, incredulous. The camp was easily half a mile long, with dozens of vampires and humans, all with auras that would act as static to block most sensing signals. I'd never heard of a vampire with enough range and power who could accurately locate someone in a situation like this one.

_It's not a matter of "can." She _is _doing it. Goddess help us, what are these people?_

I tamped down my unease. _Our allies. The people who will help us to defeat Aizen._

_If they're this skilled, I can only thank the Goddess that they're on our side!_

I didn't answer her this time, instead watching Arisawa concentrate. The woman's eyes flickered behind her closed lids as if actually seeing something, then her whole body went still for a moment before her eyes snapped open. "She's here!" she cried out. "Karin's here!"

"That's impossible! She can't be here!" Rukia protested, but it was already too late. Kurosaki and the rest of his party were already moving to attack.

"Liar! She's in the middle of their camp, Ichigo! I can sense her! She's—she's injured! The bastards hurt her!" Arisawa bared her fangs in a gesture of hatred and raised her hands in a fighting stance, obviously ready for battle.

It was her words that caught my attention, however, not her actions. _In the middle of camp? Injured? But the only person there is—_

My frantic calculations were abruptly cut off as Kurosaki drew his sword and leapt towards me.

No time for thought now. The battle had started and I had to fight.

* * *

When I was young and my father was teaching me the ways of the warrior, he asked me, "What do you think is the first thing a warrior must learn, little one?"

"How to hold his sword, Father!" I answered eagerly, my small hands clutching a wooden practice sword.

He smiled at me before gently shaking his head. "While that's also important, that's not the first thing you need to know."

I cocked my head. "It isn't?"

"Nope."

"Then what is?"

"The first thing a warrior must learn, Toushirou, is the reason why he is fighting."

"Huh?"

My father knelt down in front of me so we could see eye-to-eye, placing a hand atop my head as he did so. "Before a soldier steps onto the battlefield, before a man swings his sword, he must know why he does so. He must have a reason for fighting. Otherwise he is just a thug, just a man with a weapon in his hands, not a warrior, Toushirou. The reason you fight defines the kind of warrior you will be."

I blinked. "How does it do that?"

"If your reason for fighting is to hurt others, you will be a tyrant. If your reason for fighting is to punish those who've wronged you, you will be an avenger. If, however, your reason for fighting is to defend those you love, you will be a protector. And that, my son, is the strongest warrior there is."

"Really?" I asked, my eyes wide and curious. "Why is that?"

"Because the stronger your reason for fighting is, the stronger your sword will be. And the strongest reason you can ever have for fighting is to protect the people you love. Remember that, Toushirou."

"I will, Father," I said seriously.

He smiled. "Of course you will, little one. And I will be here to remind you in case you forget."

I nodded before narrowing my eyes thoughtfully.

"What is it, Toushirou?"

"What's your reason for fighting, Father?"

His eyes softened. "To protect the person most precious to me." He put his hand on my shoulder. "To protect you."

"So I'm the reason you're a strong warrior?"

"Yes, Toushirou."

"Then if my reason is the same as yours, if I'm fighting to protect you, and Granny, and Momo, and Hyourinmaru, that means I'll be strong, too?"

"Yes. And the more people you protect, the stronger you'll be."

I frowned. "Is that why Grandfather's so strong? Because he has to protect everybody?"

"I think so, yes."

My frown deepened. "Mother protected everyone, didn't she? Because she was Crown Princess."

My father's eyes darkened with sadness. "Yes. She tried to keep everyone safe, but not because she was Crown Princess. It was because she loved them."

"Then that meant she should've been the strongest…right?"

"Right."

"But if she was the strongest, then why did she…why…why did she die? She died protecting me, right? If I was her reason for fighting, and that's what makes you strong, did she die because I wasn't strong enough?"

My father shook his head vehemently. "No, Toushirou! No! Never think that, ever!"

Tears stung my eyes. "But then why? I don't understand. She was stronger than Aizen, wasn't she?"

"Aizen fought for love of power, and that made him very strong, too strong to fight with your attention divided. Your mother had a choice between killing Aizen—fighting for hatred—and saving you—fighting for love—and she chose you. That made her strong, little one, strong enough to do what no one else could and banish Aizen, banish him so that he can never set foot in Seireitei again without dying. Don't ever forget that, Toushirou. Don't ever forget that she did that for you."

I wiped my face. "I won't, Father. I promise."

He smiled sadly. "Good. Now let's show you how to hold that sword, hmm?"

And we proceeded to do exactly that.

* * *

I never did forget what he'd told me that day. So now, when I drew my sword, I knew why I was fighting.

_Matsumoto. Hisagi. Rukia. Madarame. Ayesegawa. __All the people in my camp._

_Seireitei._

I held the image of all the people I strove to protect in my mind, slicing my palm on my sword. Once blood started flowing, I gathered my power and began to chant.

"The _sky_ and the earth are one, the _sky _and the earth are one, water _connects_ the sky and the earth, water links me to the sky_ above_, it grounds me to the earth _below_, water of my life I _give_, water of my life I _give_, water of my life I _give_, cold as stone and hard as iron, may the water I give_ fall_ upon the heavens, may my blood _transform _the heavens itself! **Reign upon the frozen heavens!**"

The air around me suddenly dropped in temperature, and frost formed upon my sword, not a moment too soon as Kurosaki was already casting magic of his own.

"I'll kill you!" he screamed, as black currents of electricity circled his blade. He lifted it towards the sky. "Getsuga Tenshou!" The clouds darkened suddenly, and shadows feel over the land as he called lightning down.

I knew that my battle spell was too dangerous to cast under normal circumstances, but nothing else could counter Kurosaki's assault. Left with no choice, I released my own attack, a massive stream of ice shaped like a dragon with its jaws bared, ready to decimate my enemies.

Daiguren Hyourinmaru, it was called. A barrage of ice to meet his lightning, a clash of elements that could spell disaster for us all.

Both sides threw up protective wards and awaited the inevitable recoil. Either they would fall, or we would. I braced myself for the impact.

"NOOOOOOO!" screamed a sudden voice, and I was suddenly pushed aside as a figure ran past me, straight towards the oncoming magical collision.

It was the Karakuran girl who'd saved my life.

"Wait! Stop!" I yelled. What was she doing? Was she insane? Did she_ want_ to die? "Get back!" I ran after her desperately, hoping to pull her out of the blast radius.

"Prince Toushirou! No!" Hisagi's hand clamped around my arm and held me still even as I struggled, weakened from the spell and unable to cast him off.

On the other side of the clearing, Kurosaki's voice rang out, "Karin! Don't!"

Seireiteians and Karakurans watched in horror as Kuroda placed herself directly in the middle of the attack and held her hands out, palms up, as if she alone could stop both attacks.

The lightning hit her left palm, and the ice hit her right, but instead of blasting her to pieces, the attacks…intertwined?

Lightning circled my ice dragon, and she brought her hands together and directed the combined spell towards the ground in one swift, fluid movement. The whole clearing shook as the attack hit the earth, and I closed my eyes against the jarring explosions, but not before I caught a glimpse of the girl's face, thrown into sharp relief from the glaring brightness of the lightning.

As the aftershocks died down, I shakily stood up. The force of the blast had pushed everyone onto their hands and knees. The only person still standing was the girl, who was in the middle of a newly formed crater. The earth was cracked and charred around her, blackened from the lightning and covered in ice from Daiguren Hyourinmaru. She looked like a demon of the Night, standing in the midst of a wasteland, blood dripping down her arms from wounds caused by diverting two spells of intense magnitude, her black hair obscuring her expression.

"Goddess," whispered Hisagi in awe and horror. "What _is _she?"

I opened my mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a frantic shout. "Karin!"

Kurosaki ran forward and threw his arm around the girl, just as her knees gave way. "Karin! Are you alright!? Where are you hurt? What happen—"

Kurosaki was unceremoniously cut off when Kuroda elbowed him in the gut. Apparently, she still had enough energy to lash out at people. "Ichigo! What the hell were you doing?"

Kurosaki wore an outraged expression. "I was saving your life!"

"From what? You? If your definition of saving my life means attacking the camp where I was staying, I'd rather do without, thank you very much!"

"But—but—but they kidnapped you, Karin!"

"No, they didn't! They were _helping_ me, Ichigo!"

Kurosaki scowled. "If they were helping you, why are you injured, huh? And why did they say they didn't have you?"

The girl glowered at him. "You idiot! I was taking a walk when I ran into a couple of Hollows, and accidentally met up with their prince!" She gestured in my direction. "I got injured when a Gillian appeared out of nowhere. He brought me back to camp and one of their healers fixed me up, and then you decided to assume the worst and came barging in, waving your sword around and yelling, making a mess of things like usual!"

"The hell I did! They wouldn't let me see you!"

"They didn't know they had me!"

"What the—how could they not know who you were! He's marrying you the day after tomorrow!" Kurosaki pointed straight at me.

My eyes widened in shock. Marrying—that meant the girl was—!

"Oh, Night save us all," Ayesegawa said. "We really did kidnap her."

"See! See!" Kurosaki said. "They even admitted it!"

Kuroda—no, _Karin_ rolled her eyes. "Ichigo. Listen carefully. I got myself injured. They took care of me. They treated me with respect, without even knowing my identity, and would've returned me safe and sound if you hadn't interfered. _You_ attacked them. _You_ are out of line. _You _owe my husband-to-be an apology." She raised an eyebrow expectantly.

Kurosaki grudgingly turned towards me. "You really helped her?"

Not sure I would be able to find my voice, I nodded.

"You really didn't know who she was?"

I nodded again as Karin made an exasperated sound. "They thought I was a Kuroda, thanks to this." She waved her wrist at her brother. "I didn't actually have a chance to introduce myself properly. And, look, I didn't know who he was when I met him, either." She shot me an apologetic glance. "Sorry about that, by the way. I didn't mean to keep my identity from you, Your Highness."

I cleared my throat and finally spoke, "No apologies needed." I hesitated before continuing. "And under the circumstances, 'Toushirou' will do."

Her mouth quirked, though shadows of regret and wariness still lingered in her eyes. "Well, I guess I'll just have to get used to thinking of you as something other than 'that funny guy,' huh?"

I shrugged. "I've been called worse."

She laughed, the sound hollow compared to others I'd heard from her. "That's true." She sighed. "Sorry for ruining your tradition." At my quizzical look, she explained, "The whole not seeing each other before the wedding thing."

"It's a silly tradition anyway," Ayesegawa cut in. "It's perfectly fine, Your Highness. And please, accept our deepest apologies. We'd have returned you immediately had we known who you were." He and the rest of my entourage bowed deeply. Judging from the mollified expressions on the rest of the Karakurans, it was apparently the right thing to do.

Kurosaki coughed, the sound embarrassed. "It's fine. Um, well, we're sorry, too. For the whole attacking you without finding out all the facts."

Both sides stared at each other uneasily before the stalemate was broken by the sound of clapping. "Wonderful, wonderful! Nothing like a little misunderstanding to start off an alliance!" Urahara exclaimed. He turned towards the battlements and cupped his hands around his mouth to yell, "We found her! She's fine! You can call off your archers now, my dear Ryuuken!" He tilted his head to look back at us. "Now, if you'd please excuse us, Prince Toushirou, we have a wedding to prepare for and a princess to look over, so we'll just head on our way now, hmmm?" He smiled widely, the look in his eyes predatory.

I bowed my head slightly. "As you will."

The Karakurans headed back to their castle. Karin looked over her shoulder as she did so, raising her hand in farewell. "I'll see you the day after tomorrow, Toushirou." Then she turned her head away, her hair obscuring my view of her face once more. Kurosaki shot me one last scowl, and then they were gone.

I stood there in silence, still recovering from the revelations of the morning.

"Well," Madarame said, "that was one hell of a first meeting."

I couldn't help but agree.

* * *

**Endnote: And next chapter is the wedding. We hope you stick around. :)**

**Thank you for reading, folks, and thanks to everyone who's reviewed/alerted/favorited this story and/or us. :D**

**Special thanks goes to the following people for reviewing the last chapter: FlyingLikeAButterfly, Furionknight, Hakkuchi, Eekhoorntjes, Crystal, and Kat. ;) You guys make our day! :D (If we have forgotten you or spelled your name wrong, please tell us and we will correct the error immediately.)**

**Thank you so much, and please review!**


	7. Farewell of the Black Bride

**Author Note: Hello, everyone! We're back! Welcome to the seventh installment of **_**Where Angels Fear to Tread**_**. We hope you enjoy it!**

**Normal = prose, **_**italics**_** = thoughts or inner conversations. **

**Warning: Though the main pairing is HitsuKarin, there will be mentions of IchiHime, RenRuki, JintaYuzu, and a whole bunch of other couples. In addition, there will be violence and death and lots and lots of blood. If you don't like, don't read. Thank you. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. However, if there was an alternate universe where I do own Bleach, I will promptly give my left arm to switch with my other self. :)**

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Farewell of the Black Bride**

* * *

**+++Karin+++**

* * *

The minute the gates closed shut behind us, Ichigo unceremoniously picked me up and tossed me over his shoulder.

"Hey!" I shouted.

"Shut up, sis," he muttered. "We've got to get you to Orihime so she can look you over."

"Put me down!" I said, thumping his shoulder for good measure before sliding off of him and placing my hands square on my hips. "I told you, I'm completely fine!"

The group abruptly burst into loud, raucous laughter, a sudden release of the tension that I'd sensed hanging over them since the impromptu battle had ended. Even Ulquiorra had a faint smirk on his face as he raised a brow at me.

"Oh, no doubt, my lady. Of course you're fine—as fine as you were after the battle at Takahiro, and the one at Itaku, and the siege at Sordun, and even the skirmish a few weeks ago at Aravel," he said dryly, deliberately naming instances when I'd been seriously injured or extremely fatigued. Of all the people in the group, he had the most experience with my tendency to, ahem, _understate_ any damage I'd taken, but the others weren't far behind.

Tatsuki rolled her eyes at me in agreement. "Come on, Karin, we know you better than that! You Kurosakis are all the same—the louder you say you're fine, the more injured you really are." She aimed a pointed look at Ichigo, who scowled in reply.

"What the hell's with that look, Tatsuki?" he said.

"I think she's remembering all the times we've had to sedate you to get you shut up and stay still long enough for Orihime to save your bleeding ass," Renji said, grinning widely.

Chad nodded solemnly, Uncle Kisuke lifted a fan to hide his knowing smile, and Izumi continued laughing loudly.

Despite myself, I found myself exchanging wry smiles with Ichigo. They knew us far too well.

"Okay, so maybe we can be a bit…unreasonable about injuries," Ichigo conceded.

"Understatement of the century!" Izumi said, before waving at someone behind me. "Yo, Ishida!"

Glancing over my shoulder, Uryuu was indeed jogging up to us. "Greetings, Ichigo, everyone," he said, nodding. He turned steel-blue eyes on me. "Karin, I'm glad you've been returned safely. My father remains on the battlements with the other Quincy, keeping an eye on the Seireiteians, but he's instructed me to—"

"—make sure she heads to the hospital?" Uncle Kisuke said. "Tell the worrywart that everything's under control. I'm here, after all." He waved his fan in a magnanimous manner. "He can go shoot some more Seireiteians and nearly start a war. Meanwhile, I'll try to ensure that the whole treaty doesn't fall apart."

Uryuu rolled his eyes as he walked over and draped his cloak around my shoulders. "The man was fine. The shots were meant to be nonlethal for a vampire or a familiar. Now, let's get you home, Karin, before Uncle Isshin _really_ panics. I like the castle having a roof."

* * *

"Hmmm," Orihime said, her glowing hands hovering in front of my chest. "Looks like everything's fine. Nothing that a bit of rest won't cure. Lady Rukia knew what she was doing." The glow faded from her hands and she said in a louder voice, "She's fine! You can all stop worrying now!"

The curtain in our little corner of the hall set aside for the healers was pulled aside, and it seemed that everyone from my blubbering father and tearful sister to the equally weepy Pesche and Dondechakka piled in.

"Those Seireiteian bastards! Did they hurt you, Karin?" Jinta said.

"We oughta send them packing!" Ryohei said.

"Except the busty one! We should hold her hostage!" Keigo said.

"Keigo!" Nel replied, with a startled chuckle.

"What?" he replied. "I like blondes."

Everyone else groaned.

"Who cares? You're alive!" Yuzu said, throwing her arms around me.

I rolled my eyes. "Of course I am. You'd have felt it if I died."

"Still! You had us so worried! I thought you just went for a walk, but when you didn't come back, I thought something awful had happened to you! That maybe you'd tried to assassinate the Seireiteians or something."

I scowled. "Yuzu, I'm not stupid."

She gave me a disbelieving look that I greatly resented. "You went for a walk without telling anyone, got attacked by Hollows miles away from the castle, and managed to implicate your own fiancé in your kidnapping. How was any of the above_ not_ stupid?"

"Because none of it would have mattered if Uncle Ryuuken wasn't a paranoid bastard."

"Forgetting Uncle Ryuuken's paranoia—again, how is that not stupid?"

I crossed my arms and huffed. Everyone else started laughing.

Looking around at my friends and family, all of them happy and relieved at my safe return, I couldn't help but feel mournful.

I was going to miss this, all of this, so, so _much_.

"Hey, you okay, Karin?" Ichigo asked worriedly, peering at my face.

I smiled at him, masking my sudden pang of sadness. "I'm just fine, Ichigo."

"Alright," Orihime said, shooing everyone out. "You've seen her, she's fine, and it's time to let her get some rest. It's going to be a big day for her tomorrow, and the day after that, too." The look in her eyes was full of mingled understanding and sorrow, but she smiled anyway to try and cover it up. "Father, why don't you and Ichigo and Yuzu help Karin to her rooms? I'll have the servants bring up a late breakfast, and we can eat there while Karin rests."

"Fantastic idea, my beautiful daughter-in-law!" my father exclaimed loudly, also doing his best to act as normally as possible. He walked over and scooped me up.

I thumped my fists half-heartedly against his chest. "Put me down, Dad. I'm not an invalid; I can walk."

"Nonsense! As your father, it is my solemn duty to carry you around as your noble steed! Ichigo can carry Yuzu, and we can race!"

My siblings and I exchanged amused looks. "We haven't done that since we were children, Daddy," Yuzu said.

"All the more reason to!" His arms tightened around me, holding me close.

"Alright," I said, putting my head trustingly against him, breathing his familiar scent in. "You win. Just no racing." I placed a hand around his neck, burying my face in the curve of his shoulder—Yuzu was right. It had been years since he'd carried me. I didn't realize how much I'd missed it, and all the other comforting assurances of my childhood, until just now, when I was about to leave them behind forever.

My father carried me up to my rooms, Yuzu and Ichigo following behind, and his heartbeat underneath my ear lulled me softly into sleep.

* * *

"Karin? Karin, wake up."

"Hmm?" I said, blinking sleepily awake. Yesterday I had done nothing but rest as my family kept me company, even taking all their meals in my room, and my muscles felt tight with disuse. I stretched, feeling my joints pop and my bones creak. "Whazzit?"

"It's morning. The day before…well, you know," Yuzu said, sitting down on my bed and taking my hand gently. Behind her, Orihime was going through my closet and pulling out a plain white dress, even as Nel walked in with a tray of food. "You've got a lot to do."

I sat bolt upright, suddenly realizing what she was talking about.

It was the morning of the day before my wedding, and in Karakura, that meant one thing.

It was time to say my farewells.

"Oh," I said. "Yeah, I remember. Is everyone—who am I supposed to see first?"

There was an order to these things. A normal bride or groom would simply visit all their extended family, and maybe a few close neighbors and friends, if they were moving to a distant town. Even if they were just moving to a house down the street from their childhood home (Yuzu was literally going to move from one wing of the castle into another once she married Jinta), they'd still make the visit to say "farewell," since they would no longer be so-and-so, daughter or son of blah-and-blah—now they would be someone's wife or husband. They would be saying goodbye to their old life and identity, laying any previous troubles or doubts to rest, and receiving tons of presents and gifts (usually set aside for them as part of their dowry or groom-price), before starting their new life.

As a princess leaving for Seireitei, this similarly meant a visit to all my beloved family and friends—I'd just be visiting them in their capacities as leaders of their factions within our government, too. So that meant doing it hierarchically, which could be confusing in Karakura, since you had people like Orihime's grandfather, who absolutely refused to acknowledge the fact that he was an earl, and people like Ulquiorra, who technically outranked most nobles while also having no rightful power in Karakura, since he was from Hueco Mundo.

Just thinking about it was giving me a headache (though apparently Seireitei's hierarchy was three times as complicated, and people would actually care if I made mistakes, so there was that to look forward to—_not_).

I sighed. I'd never paid attention in etiquette class to the fine nuances of wedding traditions; I always thought I'd have time for it later, when the war was over and I could actually court someone properly. Or, you know, be courted. Either way worked. Not that I knew much about courting, either, come to think of it.

That was one point in Prince Hitsu—in Toushirou's favor. No messing around with flowers or awful poems, like Jinta had done, or awkward confessions and terrible dates with my father and Yuzu stalking the couple, like with Ichigo. Just a wedding, nice and simple—what I'd always wanted when I was younger. I smiled faintly at the thought, pulling my knees up and hugging them. Nel placed the plate before me and smiled back, and the subtle tension in my room lessened slightly as she and Yuzu and Orihime realized I wasn't going to throw a raging fit.

"You'll be starting at the lowest ranks and working your way up," Orihime said, laying the dress at the foot of my bed and handing a comb to Nel, who began brushing my hair. "So that means formally receiving the representatives from all the villages and estates, and the different heads of the guilds here in Karasu."

I smacked Nel's hand away from my hair. "Hey, I can do that myself!"

"Karin," Yuzu said, frowning. "It's a tradition for the bride to be prepared by the women in her family both today and tomorrow."

"Really?"

She and Nel rolled their eyes as Orihime giggled quietly. "Yes, really. Goddess, if I knew letting you be the dastardly villain trying to kidnap the bride in our childhood games meant you'd be this clueless before your own wedding, I'd have put my foot down and insisted you marry Uryuu like I wanted you to," she grumbled, opening the jewelry box Orihime handed her and perusing the selection of bracelets and rings.

"Why not Chad?" I said.

"Because I was marrying Chad, remember?"

"Didn't you marry Renji most of the time?"

"No, Renji was my secret lover whom I had to put aside for the sake of preserving the kingdom," she said matter-of-factly.

"Goddess, your fake-weddings were always so complicated. Thank the Night that I don't have to worry about this."

She paused while placing a ring on my right hand. "Do you really mean that?"

I took a deep breath. "I really mean it. The prince…he's not so bad."

Yuzu smiled tremulously at me, her eyes tearing up. "Good. I'm glad." She dropped my hand and hugged me fiercely, getting herself under control before letting me go and grinning widely to mask her lingering sadness. "See! I told you it wouldn't be so terrible! And he even saved your life already, just like a real hero."

I scowled as Nel chuckled, the vibrations of it tugging at my scalp. "Excuse me, but I saved his life, too."

"And promptly fainted like one of those helpless maidens you're so fond of disparaging," Nel pointed out.

I scowled more. "I closed a Garganta! Give me a break!"

"Sorry, Karin, we already gave you one yesterday," Orihime said, winking at me.

"Mmhm! Now, tell me more about Toushirou! Izumi said he was utterly gorgeous, if you like exotic looks, and even Tatsuki said he had a nice butt." Yuzu grinned.

My mouth fell open. "Yuzu!"

"What? I tell you about Jinta's—"

"Stop! Stop! I don't need to hear it again. Prince Hitsu—Toushirou—he—he's a good fighter," I finished lamely.

"Oooh, a good fighter! That's like Ichigo-speak for really smoking hot. And you're already calling him by his first name only. Good, that's good. I'm happy to see the gossip vine is accurate and thriving," Yuzu said playfully.

I moaned and buried my head in my hands, refusing to come out as Nel and Yuzu and Orihime continued talking and teasing me mercilessly, all the while getting me ready for the day.

As soon as Nel and Yuzu were finished, Orihime gestured me to stand, which I did, then placed the dress over my head, turning me around and doing up the buttons. When that was done, she knelt down and slipped plain, sturdy white slippers on my feet. She stood and took the circlet of silver that Yuzu handed to her, looking me solemnly in the eye.

"Hail the Lady Karin, daughter of King Isshin and Queen Masaki, sister to Crown Prince Ichigo, Crown Princess Orihime, and the Lady Yuzu. Hail the Lady Karin, Second Heir and Mage of Karakura, leader of the Third Council. Hail the Lady Karin, defender of the helpless, protector of the weak, beloved of all her people," she said, placing the circlet on my head. She named me thrice in the old way, stating all the things that I was, all the things I would both take with me and leave behind, my old identity to become part of the new, forever changed.

She put her hands gently on my shoulders and drew me into a hug.

"Farewell," I whispered into her ear, my first goodbye of the day, but not the last.

* * *

"Wow, kid, I can't believe you're really getting married. And before me, too!" Mizuho said, thumping my shoulder good-naturedly.

The first farewells had progressed quickly, a formal broad acknowledgement of the various representatives in the grand hall of the castle apparently sufficing for the majority of our towns and cities and guilds. I also genuinely thanked them for the huge caravan of gifts they'd brought with them, touched that my people would give me so much when we were all suffering so harshly. (Uncle Ryuuken had smacked the back of my head and told me not to be a stupid girl. Aunt Yoruichi had tickled my sides and basically said the same thing. Uncle Kisuke had merely chuckled behind his fan.)

Then I said farewell to the members of the Palace Guard (excepting Tatsuki—she'd come later) and the castle servants, all of whom had watched me grow up and helped raise me. The head cook had given me a copy of her recipe book, identical to the one she'd given her own daughter, she told me tearfully. The gardener had given me seeds from my daisies to grow in my new gardens in Seireitei, silently pressing them into my hands. The guards had all given me various weapons or pouches of coins, plus bawdy, ahem, "advice" for how to keep my husband, cough, well…"happy."

I blushed just thinking about it.

Now I was bidding farewell to the minor nobility, the weaker vampire clans and human nobility made up of the descendants of familiars and Vaizards.

Though how "minor" the Asanos and the Kojimas were was debatable, since both were ridiculously, obscenely wealthy. I knew for a fact that the only reason Mizuho hadn't married yet was because she was waiting for a match that would bring her the most advantageous business assets and trade concessions—though there was also proper "flavor" to consider, since she _was_ an Asano.

"Here! This is our gift to you," Mizuho said, placing a surprisingly heavy chest in my arms. I grunted from the effort of holding it. "Whoops! Sorry. Forgot that monster physical strength isn't one of your primary Gifts," she said cheerfully, stating the truth; my strength _was _enhanced, but nothing on the level of Jinta or Ichigo. Since Mizuho also possessed similarly freakish strength common to descendents of familiars, I felt this could be forgiven.

"No problem," I said. "What is it?"

"What is it? What is it, she asks! Only the most prized of all our selection, bottles of extreme essence that the very best connoisseurs would literally kill for!" Keigo said dramatically.

"Lord Asano means to say that they are gifting you with the best blood they have," Mizuiro said matter-of-factly.

"What?" I said. "Really? Wow, thanks, Mizuho!"

"Mizuho! What about me? There are several bottles of vintage Keigo in there, even some from before I hit puberty!" Keigo said indignantly.

"Whoa!" I said. "Mizuho, are you sure? Those things cost a fortune!" I would know; as some of Ichigo's closest friends and members of his Guard, I'd grown up with Keigo and Mizuiro as secondary big brothers, just like Chad, Uryuu, and Renji were.

Keigo and Mizuho admittedly smelled delicious, the result of selective breeding for the best "flavor." After Karakura liberated the familiars, they'd made a killing selling their own blood as a commodity, and branched out to tracking down and hiring the tastiest of humans, witches, werewolves, etc., to sell as special vintages, as well as running the blood donation sites and making sure everyone was healthy and well-compensated for their trouble. In Seireitei, they'd probably never be allowed to have titles; in Karakura, even Uncle Kisuke acknowledged their importance.

Believe it or not, Keigo was just that tasty.

"Don't worry about it, kid," Mizuho replied as Keigo spluttered. "Oh, we even included a bottle of Renji."

"Renji? You mean from back when he was a human?" I hadn't even known there were any bottles of him left. He had been mine and Yuzu's favorite snack when we were kids, a delicious blend of spicy and sweet, though Ichigo had tended to hoard him and even tried to buy all his bottles after he'd turned him. I grinned delightedly. "Mizuho, if I'd known you'd be giving me free blood, I'd've gotten married _ages_ ago."

She winked at me. "That's the spirit, kid."

Mizuiro cleared his throat to draw my attention, and then nudged the chest by his foot. "As the owner of the finest establishment of bars and restaurants in Karakura, and the joint business partner of the Asanos, Mizuiro House has decided to gift you with the finest set of both gold and silver dinnerware we have to offer. So when you entertain your many new Seireiteian friends, you can entertain in style."

"Uh, thanks, Mizuiro," I said, hugging him. I wasn't really planning on doing much entertaining, but it was the thought that counted.

He smiled at me knowingly. "Perhaps you can even open a bottle or two of my blood while you're at it. See if the Seireiteians wouldn't be interested in a few trade ventures now that the border is a bit more open and relations are friendlier. I've included contracts that offer you a significant cut of any profits from the trade agreements you send our way."

I smiled back, finally getting the hint. "Goddess, Mizuiro, owning a quarter of Karakura isn't enough for you? You have to own half of Seireitei, too?"

He shrugged. "They're getting you. Fleecing them for all they're worth is a poor consolation prize."

I hugged him again, even tighter this time. "Farewell, Mizuiro. I'm gonna miss you."

Keigo and Mizuho threw their arms around us, too, piling in for a group hug. "Don't worry, kid," Mizuho said as Keigo blubbered and wailed. "When the trade negotiations pull through, we'll be on the first caravan there. This won't be goodbye for long, we promise."

* * *

The leader of the Elder Witches' Coven, mentor to Sora Inoue, Orihime's brother, before his death at Aizen's hands, Orihime's own predecessor to the title of High Priestess, and grandmother of one of my closest friends, set down her teacup with a nearly inaudible _clink_. "Ah," she sighed contentedly. "I find that good cup of tea can always help put one's problems in the proper perspective."

"I guess," I mumbled. I wasn't really a fan of tea, being fonder of coffee.

"You'll understand when you're my age," Sawako Kuronuma said, smiling gently. She took my hand. "I know this marriage isn't what you wanted, but if you persevere, everything will be fine."

"Is that an actual prediction?" I asked, curious. Certain witches were prophetic, especially powerful ones like Sawako, and it would be nice to have an assurance that things would be alright.

She laughed. "No, that was never amongst my gifts, though thankfully my granddaughter is stronger than I am, and is actually decent at scrying. Telling ghost stories and teaching others was more my forte."

"But everyone said you were always able to predict who would marry whom!" I said.

"Not really. I just tended to encourage people and tell them that they could do whatever they set their mind to; the rest worked itself out on its own."

"Isn't that the Goddess's own truth," one of the other senior witches, Chizuru Yoshida, cackled. "You were the best good luck charm ever, Sawako! Karin, if you ever have problems with that husband of yours, you just find Natsuko, and she'll give you an awkward, heat-felt pep talk that'll make everything clearer, just like her granny here."

"Did that really help when you had problems with Ryu?" the last witch in the trio, Ayane Yano, said dryly.

"'Course it did!" Chizuru insisted. "And it helped Kento get off his butt and propose to you, didn't it? And now he's been Mr. Yano for over ninety years! With our Natsuko's help, Karin here can expertly train her Mr. Future Kurosaki into a nice husband in no time flat!"

Witches were matrilineal, so husbands took their wives' last names. Chizuru in particular tended to forget that everyone else did it differently. I smiled into my teacup as Sawako giggled and Ayane rolled her eyes.

"Did you say something about me, Great-aunt Chizuru?" a familiar voice said as the door slid open and Natsuko Kuronuma walked in. Her straight hair fell in a smooth, shiny, black waterfall to her hips; it was currently braided and held back by butterfly ornaments emblematic to her family, though a few strands framed her red eyes. She smiled at everyone in the room and moved to refill all of our cups with the pot of fresh tea she held in her hands.

"Hey, Natsuko," I said.

"Hi, Karin," she said, sitting by me once she set the teapot down on the low table, and folding her hands in her lap. "How are you feeling?"

I shrugged. "Could be worse. Definitely better than I was a few days ago."

She nodded thoughtfully, in tandem with the other, older witches. It was funny how the witches could do everything harmoniously without much effort. "That's a relief," she said softly. "I was worried about you."

I winced. "Sorry, Natsuko. I've been pretty selfish these last couple of days, and it's not as if I'm going to be the only one leaving my home behind. You sure you want to come with me?" I asked.

She smiled earnestly as Chizuru said, "Of course she's coming with you! You think we're gonna send you into the middle of Seireitei without a witch or a priestess? At least with Natsuko you'll have a two-for-one deal, plus she's one of your best friends, so that's really a three-for-one! Damn if we won't be sad to lose her, though." She slapped her knee. "Hopefully she makes up for it by finding a nice young warlock in Seireitei. The bloodlines here are getting kinda thin; we could use some new blood."

Natsuko blushed.

Ayane scowled. "Stop embarrassing the girl!"

"I am not!"

"Yes, you are! Honestly, how Ryu puts up with you, I'll never know." Huffing, she turned to me and pushed forward a small, lacquered wooden box. "Here, Karin. This is the witches' gift to you."

Opening it, I found an assortment of magical and medicinal herbs and potions, and slips of paper with elegant witch-glyphs painted on them. Pulling one out, I could feel its magic resonate strongly with mine.

"We worked on some of those talismans and charms for years," Sawako said quietly, placing her hand over mine. "They and the herbs will help keep you safe and sound, and hopefully healthy and happy."

"That's all we've ever wanted for you girls," Chizuru said.

"Look out for each other," Ayane said. "All of you—Nel, Ulquiorra, Tatsuki, Renji, Uryuu, Izumi. And you and Natsuko, too."

"I will," I promised. "I'll look after them all."

"And we'll look after her," Natsuko said, her voice soft, but firm and steady all the same.

"I know you will," Sawako said. "I know."

* * *

"Would you all PIPE DOWN?!" Izumi yelled. She reached down and grabbed two yipping pups by the scruff of their necks, shaking them until they transformed back into human shape. "AND NO SHIFTING IN THE HOUSE! DON'T MAKE ME TELL YOUR GRANDMOTHER!"

"Tell me what?" Lady Kuroda, head of the messy, rambling, loud Clan Kuroda, the largest and second-most important werewolf clan in Karakura (and subsequently all of Enalma, since all the werewolves had migrated here post-Schism) walked into the house.

The chaotic movement and cacophony of voices, laughter, shrieks, and barks abruptly stopped. Vases were hastily set back down onto shelves, knives hastily shoved into drawers, drawers hastily shoved back into tables, tables hastily pulled off couches, and couches hastily pried off of stairs.

"What in the Seven Forests are you all doing? I leave for an hour to check on a few of our stores, and I come back and see that bedlam has broken loose in my own house, the day we're meant to say goodbye to our beloved princess?" Lady Kuroda said, her voice dangerously low and quiet.

Every werewolf in the vicinity flinched, even Izumi.

"Night help us," she whispered to one of her many younger sisters, "is Dad in the house?"

"I think he's helping Chad get the gift ready outside," her sister whispered back. "Didn't want the rest of the family to have to deal with it when he could do it himself. You know how thoughtful he gets."

"There's not gonna be a family left to be thoughtful _for_ if he doesn't get back inside soon," I muttered, eyeing the ominous way Lady Kuroda had started tapping her foot.

"You…" she started saying, her voice eerily menacing.

"DAD!" shrieked everyone else.

"What? What did I miss?" Lord Kuroda said, walking in through the town house's back door. He looked around. "Hmmm. Oh, welcome home, Riko."

"Is that all you have to say, Jun?" she said.

"Well, yes." He kissed her on the cheek.

She smacked him. "Look at the state of the house!"

"Considering that the whole clan hasn't been in this town house since we bought it eighteen years ago, and that the children hadn't even started having children back then, I consider it a blessing that it's even standing at all. We're not made for closed spaces, Riko," he said logically, calmly. "Besides, once Teppei gets here tomorrow, he can take all the young ones for a nice, invigorating run. Have them play ball, or Frisbee, or something appropriately wolfish."

Riko harrumphed, but subsided in her killing aura. "My idiot brother is good for that, I suppose," she admitted grudgingly.

The rest of the clan let out a relieved exhale, crisis safely averted, and started pouring into the wide, spacious living room, arranging themselves in a loose semi-circle.

"Well, get in there," Lady Kuroda said, gesturing towards the seat left intentionally blank for me. I sat down, pressed on all sides by werewolves. Chad and Izumi were the last to squeeze in, the latter's parents having gone to get the present.

"Oi! Brats! Make room for the Alpha, dammit!" Kuroda yelled, her voice coming in loud and clear despite the scarf she always insisted on wearing. Her silver eyes gleamed menacingly, the bits of spiky black hair visible under the cloth only heightening the effect. Not even the garish orange of today's scarf (she had a different scarf for every day of the month, and _all _of them were hideous) could detract from her expression.

The youngest pups obligingly parted to let Chad sit down amongst them, then piled on top of him contentedly. "Chad! Chad! Chad!" they chanted happily.

"Hey, that's your Alpha! Show some respect!" Izumi commanded.

"It's okay," Chad rumbled. "I like them. They're cute at this age."

"You big softie," Izumi grumbled. "I love them, but they drive me crazy sometimes." She sat next to me. "You got enough room to breathe, pup?" the older girl asked me. She was of an age with Ichigo and the others, and a particularly close friend of Tatsuki's. The two of them together had been some of my most efficient combat teachers.

I nodded, dusting a few bits of fur from my clothing.

"Karin! Karin!" the pups yelled. "Is it true? Is it true you told the Seireiteians you were a Kuroda? Did you really? Huh? Huh?"

Kuroda rolled her eyes, though they were glinting with amusement. "Goddess take it, not you, too," she complained, knowing very well that I had done no such thing. "I already have half the werewolves in Karakura claiming they're a Kuroda whenever they get arrested or fined or something, and who has to drag her ass down and bust them out?"

"You do," her family chorused.

"Though they've stopped since you broke the last offender's femur," Rin, one of her sisters, pointed out.

"Still," Izumi said, "it was a pain while it was happening. Only Kurodas get to say they're Kurodas. All imposters should be prepared to have a very angry clan-heir on their hands otherwise."

"It was Lady Rukia's fault," I muttered. "She can read wolfscript, but only well enough to make out your clan's name on my bracelet, not the fact that it said 'Friend of'."

"Ohhhh," the clan said in collective understanding.

"Fine," Izumi said, ruffling my hair. "But just this once, you hear?"

"It's not like I'll have chance to impersonate anyone after I get married," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Promise anyway," Izumi said.

"Alright, I promise."

Chad patted my knee consolingly.

"Where's Ururu?" I asked him.

"She'll say goodbye with Yuzu at the dinner," he rumbled, talking of the party Yuzu had prepared for me, inviting all the vampires of our age group: Ryohei, Pinta, Donny, Kazuya, Jinta, and apparently Chad's chosen mate, as well. All my closest friends that I hadn't yet said farewell to. Natsuko had been invited, too, but no doubt she would want to spend her last few nights with her family instead, since she was leaving for Seireitei to accompany me.

"Chad and I might come by later," Izumi said casually. "Ichigo's friends were invited, too, so Kon, Mizuiro, Keigo, and the rest should be there."

"And maybe you'll finally find a nice human boy to settle down with, since none of the werewolves seem good enough for you," her mother said, entering the room. "I need grandchildren, Izumi."

Izumi scowled. "I have seven siblings, all of them already married with kids, and if they don't have kids yet, they're pregnant—"

"Ahem." Masashi cleared his throat pointedly.

"—_or_ their wives are pregnant. You do _not_ need more grandchildren."

Riko Kuroda glared at her. "You are my heir, and since your cousin is married to that nice Ururu Urahara, any child of theirs will be a Vaizard, so it's up to you to make werewolf babies! Your heir will also be his heir!"

Izumi glared at Chad, who simply shrugged. "Sorry," he said. "The Yasutoras aren't a very numerous clan."

"Only because you're all ridiculously brave and self-sacrificing," Rin said.

"Still. Izumi, as Chad's second cousin and closest relative, you're second-in-line for the position of Alpha if they die out, as are your children after you," Riko said, crossing her arms.

"Though of course, one of Chad's children could marry one of Izumi's, and the bloodline will breed true and the Yasutoras can take their place as the Alphas once more," Jun pointed out. "No need to panic over the extinction of the clan as werewolves just yet."

"Great," Izumi mumbled. "You're already betrothing my nonexistent children with my nonexistent husband to the nonexistent Vaizard children of my friend and cousin."

Riko smacked her with a rolled up scroll. "Stop whining and do your duty!"

"I'll do my duty when I actually find a man with enough balls to handle me!"

"Oooooh," murmured the peanut gallery.

"Shut up!" Riko and Izumi yelled.

Jun calmly ignored both of them and walked over to me, unfurling a beautiful quilt and laying it on my lap. "We wove this for you," he said simply. "All of the werewolf clans contributed a square." He pointed to the various signs adorning each one. "This one is from the Iyenagas—the symbol for strength. The Torunes—the symbol for good hunting. The Kisaragis—the symbol for many healthy pups."

I laughed. "Many? It says twenty! I'm not having that many children."

"Eh, to the Kisaragis, twenty, many, there's not much difference." He smiled as the rest of his family howled with laughter, waiting until it died down before resuming.

"There hasn't been a werewolf in Seireitei since the Great Schism," he continued on a more serious note. "They killed all of the survivors left behind after the war. In the centuries since, we've grown strong and hale here in Karakura, and this place will always be home to us. But…the clan lands here are starting to get too crowded."

I bit my lip. Before the war with Aizen, this had indeed been one of the major concerns of the werewolf faction. There had been talks between the nobles in the Free Lands, the Schiffers and Tu Oderschvanks among them, and my uncle, Lord Zangetsu, the man who'd held the title of First Mage before his death. He'd been trying to arrange for some of our werewolf clans to migrate there…then Aizen had happened.

"Hopefully, this new alliance can allow us to purchase land in Seireitei. And with a Karakuran-born princess sitting on the Summer Throne as an empress, the prejudice we face may not be so perilous as it once was," Jun said.

I ran a hand over the fabric in my lap, recognizing it as the wedding quilt given to every new werewolf couple starting their own family—a reminder that even in marriage, they take bits of their old families with them, that they themselves were merely one patch in the greater whole that was their clan, and that each of the clans was one part of the Great Pack.

They were saying that I was part of their family—always had been, always will be. They were asking me to remember them, even when I left, just as they would remember me.

"Don't worry," I whispered. "Saying farewell does not mean forgetting."

Jun, Riko, Izumi, Chad—every werewolf in the room closed their eyes and sighed, the soft exhalation a low, solemn sound.

* * *

"I can't believe you're getting married! Goddess, how cruel must you be, to take away my first love?!" Shinji stepped forward and tried to fling his arms around me, only to be hit in the face with a sturdy, witch-woven sandal.

"Cut it out, you moron," Hiyori said. She eyed me. "Okay, Your Future-Imperialness, first thing you gotta know about having a husband is that they react best to violence. Find a nice, steady, pointy shoe, and use it regularly. Here, I got you your first pair." She hands me a pair of sandals identical to the one on her foot and in her hand.

I looked at Shinji, crumpled in the corner. "Are you sure about that? I've watched you hit him for years, and it doesn't seem to have affected him."

Next to her, Nanao snorted, pushing up her glasses. "Please, before you were born, he was much worse than he is now." The normally severe woman seemed more cheerful than usual, one of the few people in my party who was actually looking forward to moving to Seireitei. She and her sister had been close, and since she hadn't seen Lisa in years, this trip was one she'd been eager to volunteer for. As representative Vaizards went, she was a good choice—calm, steady, organized, efficient, and altogether less chaotic than some of the others tended to be.

I furrowed my brows. "Really?"

"Really."

"Wow…I can't imagine it. That's kinda scary."

"Tell us about it," Kensei said, placing his elbow on my shoulder and leaning on me. He handed me a whetstone and a knife in a scabbard. "Here. Mashiro and I got this for you. Well, I got you the knife, she got you the whetstone. This is, of course, in addition to the huge pile of gold coins we all chipped in and had sent to the castle already."

"Yup!" Mashiro said, throwing her arms around me on the other side and squeezing my ribs until I wheezed.

"Hey, idiot, she needs her lungs to work if she's gonna marry what's-his-face," Kensei said, pulling her off.

"Noooo," Mashiro said, flapping her hands. "Lemme go, I wanna hug her!"

"Later," Kensei said firmly, allowing Love and Rose to each present me with their gifts: sheet music from Love and a calligraphy set from Rose.

Finally, Hachigen, Orihime's kindly grandfather, handed me a watch. "And this is my gift to you. There are protective enchantments on it. If you wind it back thirteen times, it releases an impenetrable barrier."

Everyone else blinked at him. "Dude, we said get her something useful and functional," Hiyori said.

He looked perplexed. "That's what I did."

"We also meant non-flashy," Nanao clarified. "None of our gifts were magically enhanced."

"Oh. Why not?"

"Because it's traditional!" Hiyori said, waving her arms around. "You give the bride small items she can use in her household!"

I snickered. "It's alright, Great-uncle Hachi. The witches gave me talismans and charms. You're in the clear."

"Wait, they did? But aren't they really big on being all humble and simple and elegant and traditional, too?" Hiyori demanded.

I pulled out one of the elegant, simple talismans Natsuko's grandmother and the other witches had given me, written in neat, traditional witch-glyphs.

"Oh," Hiyori said. "I see."

Love snorted. "They've got us there."

Shinji scowled. "Well, we can't help it that Vaizards are naturally flashy."

I laughed, and hugged and thanked each and every one of them, telling them as I said goodbye that I wouldn't have them any other way.

* * *

"Where is your Guard?" Don Kanonji asked me.

We were sitting in the temple, in the same room where he taught me, Yuzu, Jinta, Ururu, and the other boys how to meditate, leaning on the comfy, plush cushions he was so fond of. If Orihime hadn't also been the Crown Princess, and Natsuko the future leader of the Witches' Coven, they'd be here saying their goodbyes as priestesses. If Sora had still been alive, he would've been here, too…

Sora, Uncle Zangetsu, Mizuho and Keigo's parents, Chad's grandpa, Uryuu's grandfather, Tatsuki's mother, Renji's friends, Ulquiorra and Nel's whole families…so many people were dead because of Aizen. So many of their ashes were stored within these walls of peaceful, hallowed stone. Sitting here, I hoped my sacrifice would buy the peace they had given their lives for.

I shrugged. "It's the heart of the city. It's safe. Besides, it's traditional for the bride or groom to make the journey alone, and all my Guards are people I have to say farewell to, anyway. Since everyone's here for the wedding, I don't have to leave Orihime's barriers to say farewell to anyone. It'd be different if I was marrying somebody Karakuran. Ha, I'd probably have had to go on a month-long grand tour of the whole country like Orihime did."

He chuckled. "How fortunate, then, that all your loved ones have gathered so conveniently in one place for you to say goodbye."

"I guess." I picked at a few stray threads on the pillow. "I wouldn't have minded a whole month to say farewell, though."

He nodded in understanding.

We sat in silence for a few more minutes.

"…aren't you going to give me a gift?"

He smiled at me. "Oh, well, if you insist." He handed me a simple drawing of Ururu, Jinta, and I draped all over him, all of us doing the ridiculous little pose that he insisted helped relax the mind and body.

I laughed at the sight of it, tracing my fingers over our smiling faces.

He placed his hand atop my head. "I've already given you all the gifts I have to give—a willing heart, eyes to see the impossible, imagination to get you through the darkness, laughter to get you through the sadness. Now it's your turn to give them to someone else."

I turned to hug him, and, for the first time that entire day, cried.

* * *

"This is for you," Nel said, handing me a familiar book.

"Nel, no," I said, protesting. It was the beautifully illustrated manuscript of fairy tales that I'd adored as a child, casting myself the princess or knight in shining armor, riding to the helpless maiden or unfortunate village's rescue. Nel had lent it to my mother, who often read it to us when she'd been alive. As far as I knew, it was the last existing copy—the rest had burned in the purges when Aizen had taken over Hueco Mundo. "I couldn't possibly take this."

"Of course you can!" Pesche said, bringing in a tray of muffins, Bawabawa nipping at his heels. "Lady Nel wants you to have it!"

Dondechakka nodded emphatically, seconding his best friend's statement. "It's your favorite book," he said. "We want you to have the best things. We've even included bookmarks, and put protective spells on it, and everything."

"Just take it," Ulquiorra said. "Unlike certain uneducated idiots I could name, you'll actually treat it right."

I squinted at him. He, too, had a book under his arm. "Wait a minute, is that—"

"—'The Complete Guide to the Dragons of Enalma,' by Yamabuki Keikain? Why, yes, it is." He placed it in front of me.

I gaped at him. The Free Lands had been famous for their libraries and information networks before their invasion. As members of some of the oldest families, Nel and Ulquiorra had had access to some of the rarest books in the world, and when fleeing, they'd risked their lives to bring as much of their personal collections with them. To give me books from their libraries was the greatest sign of love they could show me. "I—"

"Just take them!" Nel shouted, practically shoving them in my hands, her usually calm personality giving way to the excitable demeanor she sometimes showed when she was nervous or happy. "It's the least we can give you."

"Alright, alri—oof," I said, suddenly cut off as Nel pressed my face into her chest. "Can't. Breathe."

"Sorry, sorry," she said, still not letting go. "It's just…you're growing up so fast."

Ulquiorra placed a tentative hand on my shoulder, physical contact never coming easily to him unless he was manhandling me for my own good. "We simply—we want—you can always count on us," he said, then paused. "Although I must tell you in all fairness, if you let anything happen to either of these books, I will personally tell everyone in Seireitei about the time you were fourteen and tried to turn your brother into a pig."

I laughed. "I will do my very best, then, to make sure that never happens."

He smiled faintly. "Good girl."

* * *

"Out of curiosity, my dear, how filthy rich are you at the moment?" Uncle Kisuke asked, waving his fan languidly. "I saw wagons full of gold enter the castle today, presumably from the direction of the Vaizards'."

"Not to mention the furniture, decorations, tableware, weapons, jewelry, etc., etc. that the townspeople and villagers sent," Aunt Yoruichi added, winking. "It's a good thing that the Crown Princess is entitled to her own wing in the palace, otherwise you'd have nowhere to place all your stuff. And this isn't even considering the gifts you'll get from the Seireiteians."

I wrinkled my nose. "Why would I get gifts from them?" Surely the Seireiteians had a similar custom to ours, and Toushirou would receive his fair share of presents. Did they think so little of Karakura that they wouldn't expect my people to adequately provide for me?

"In Seireitei, traditionally all wedding gifts belong to the bride. The groom is even expected to pay for the wedding," Aunt Yoruichi explained.

"I nearly went bankrupt when I married your aunt," Uncle Kisuke said, grinning at the memory.

Aunt Yoruichi rolled her eyes. "If you recall, we eloped. The wedding cost a small pouch of gold at the most."

"Is Toushirou paying for our wedding?" I asked anxiously. In Karakura, expenses were usually covered by the bride's family. It seemed wrong to have the wedding here _and_ expect him to foot the bill.

"In the interests of diplomacy, we've decided to split the costs—which are nowhere near as expensive as your brother's wedding, considering we've had less than a month to plan this thing, though Yuzu has tried her best to beggar your father," Uncle Kisuke said.

"Like always," Aunt Yoruichi said with a smile.

I grinned back, shrugging. What else could one expect from Yuzu?

"Now," Uncle Kisuke said, exchanging a look with his wife, "we need to talk about your magic."

I stilled. "The dark magic?"

He nodded. "You know that you're not supposed to use it—" he began to say.

"If this is about Aravel, it was only the once! People were going to die otherwise; I promise I wouldn't have used it unless—"

"Karin." Aunt Yoruichi reached over and held my hand. "We know. We trust you. But it was still a risk you couldn't have afforded to take."

"If Aizen finds out that you're a dark mage, he might very well kidnap you for that alone, never mind your status as princess," Uncle Kisuke said. "Sending you to Seireitei has the added bonus of keeping you safe—thanks to the late Princess Haruka, he can't set foot within its borders without dying."

"Not that he wouldn't send people after you anyway," Aunt Yoruichi said.

"I know," I said, looking down at my clenched hands. How many times had I been told, from the minute my elemental magic had been revealed as darkness, that it was too dangerous to use? Not because there was something wrong with it, or me, but because dark mages were few and far between, their powers quick to mature and terrible when roused, and unique because of all mages, they alone could double their strength when killing another of their kind.

I was one of two living dark mages in Enalma.

Aizen was the other.

Killing me would make him one of the most powerful mages in history, and it's not as if I would even be the first dark mage he'd murdered—that distinction belonged to my uncle.

"After killing Zangetsu, his powers nearly tripled," Uncle Kisuke said. "If he got his hands on you, he'd be near invincible."

I winced, fingers rubbing the bracelet my uncle had given me years ago, before my mother's death, before his murder, before I'd ever heard of Aizen. Back when nothing bad had ever happened to me or my siblings. I hadn't worn this bracelet in years, but Yuzu had slipped it on today, and it had felt strangely appropriate, wearing this reminder of happier times as I braced myself for an uncertain future. "I know," I repeated. "I promise I won't use dark magic unless the situation is dire."

"I'm afraid that's not enough, Karin," Aunt Yoruichi said. "You see, it's not just Aizen you have to worry about. After Aizen murdered Crown Princess Haruka, Seireitei began seeing _all_ dark mages as inherently evil. To reveal yourself as a dark mage would be tantamount to suicide, and would probably result in the dissolution of the treaty—they're that paranoid about it."

I glanced between the two of them, shocked and angry. "Are you kidding me? I know they distrust dark magic, especially after the Civil War and the Great Schism, but did they really make it a crime punishable by _death_?"

"Yes," Uncle Kisuke said. "Your future husband seems particularly touchy about it, as well, so our gift to you is a warning—never use dark magic in Seireitei, not until the war is over, and not until you've secured your place by giving Prince Toushirou an heir."

"Promise us, Karin," Aunt Yoruichi said. "I'll be there to help guard you, but we need you to promise." She looked straight into my eyes, gripping my hands tightly in her own, her face as grave as I'd ever seen it.

I swallowed, deeply unsettled despite myself. "I swear," I said solemnly. "I swear it by the Goddess, by the Dark of the Night, by my mother's grave, by my father's name, by my brother's strength, by my sister's soul. I swear it by all that I am and all that I would be."

"So mote it be," Aunt Yoruichi said softly.

"So mote it be," Uncle Kisuke said, looking away from our joined hands as if the sight pained him. He cleared his throat, trying for his usual teasing tone and almost—almost—managing it. "Now, you should head on over to Ryuuken's house before it gets any later. You know how tetchy he gets about punctuality."

I nodded and stood up to leave.

At the door, Aunt Yoruichi pulled me into hug. "Farewell," she murmured. My throat was too tight to reply. This wasn't a real farewell in the traditional sense of the word—she'd be coming with me, after all—but soon we wouldn't be rowdy aunt and boisterous niece. We'd be future empress and her trusted advisor, duty coming first, affection second.

Uncle Kisuke simply took off his hat and placed it on my head. I put my hand on the brim, shocked.

"It's your other gift," he said, smirking. "Starting tomorrow, you'll be a crown princess. You'll need to dress in style."

I grinned back. "Of course."

* * *

Uncle Ryuuken cast the hat on my head a withering look, but didn't comment. He handed me a silver necklace, the five-pointed Quincy cross hanging from the chain.

"Keep this on you at all times, and even my fool of a son could track you all the way to the Free Lands," he said.

What he didn't say was, _Wear this at all times, and I'll be able to sense you, even in Seireitei. Wear this at all times, and we'll always be connected. _

He didn't need to.

* * *

"To Karin!" Yuzu said, raising her glass high.

"To Karin!" my friends echoed, raucous and already more than a little drunk.

"To her strength!" Ryohei shouted.

"To her deviousness!" said Pinta.

"To her temper!" Donny roared.

"To her hilariously bad plans!" yelled Kazuya.

"To her really rockin' bod!" Kon slurred.

Yuzu elbowed him and saved me the trouble of having to smack him myself. "For Goddess's sake, who handed him a glass of Keigo?" she demanded.

Everyone burst into laughter as Keigo himself sheepishly raised his hand.

From my seat on the raised dais as the guest of honor, I looked over the assembled guests and smiled. This day had been good for me; tradition or not, I was actually prepared to admit that it wasn't completely stupid. It was…nice, having one last goodbye, one last night where I was just me, sister and daughter and niece and friend. Not princess, not future empress, not wife-to-be. Just Karin.

It reminded exactly why I was getting married tomorrow—it was to protect all this.

"You doing alright, Karin?" Tatsuki asked, cocking an inquisitive brow at me.

"Yeah, though I could use another glass of Mizuiro," I said.

She made a face. "Blech. I don't know how you can stand the stuff. Kojima's a great guy, but flavor-wise, I think Keigo's actually got the drop on him."

I shrugged. "True, but Keigo's too sweet to go with cake."

Renji materialized on my other side, a glass of blood in both hands, one of which he gave to me. "Bottoms up, baby," he said affectionately, downing half of his.

I scowled. "I am thirty-eight years old," I pointed out. "That meant I stopped being a baby over two decades ago. Two decades."

He shrugged. "You'll always be a baby to me," he said. He nodded at the pile of gifts behind us. "You like the soccer ball I got you? Not sure they have them in Seireitei, but I figured I could always just build you goals when we get there."

"Yeah," I said, grinning. "Thanks, Renji." I punched him in the arm.

"Bet you like my gifts better, though," Tatsuki said. She reached over and held up a set of ornate, heavily decorated knives—they looked almost like mere show pieces, at least until she unsheathed one and neatly sliced through the roast pig on the table.

"Whoa," Kuroda said, walking up to us. "Those are some beautiful knives."

"I know," Tatsuki said smugly. She smacked Izumi's hands when she reached out to touch one. "Nuh-uh. You can have a set when _you_ get married."

Kuroda scowled. "Damn it, has everyone been talking to my mother?"

Keigo snorted. "More like she's been talking to everyone." He sat down next to Tatsuki, followed by the rest of Ichigo's Guard and half of my own.

Mizuiro smiled beatifically next to him. "I must say, I'm almost glad you're leaving, Kuroda. At least this means she'll stop looking at us like potential suitors for you."

Izumi gagged as Tatsuki and Renji roared with laughter. Chad patted her consolingly on the shoulder as Ururu and Jinta approached me with their own personal gifts—a shield from Jinta and brass knuckles from Ururu.

"I see Dad gave you the hat." Jinta nodded at it, perched on my head.

"And here I was, hoping it meant you'd killed the man and pried it off his corpse," Uryuu said dryly. He looked approvingly at the necklace I wore, with its gleaming Quincy cross, then handed me a long, thin rapier.

I raised a brow. "A Seele Schneider blade? Uryuu, you shouldn't have."

"It's the least I could do," he replied.

I put it next to the giant teddy bear that was Chad's present to me as a member of my Guard (as the Alpha, the patch on the quilt that read "Protection" was the one he had Uryuu sew for me). Then I ignored Uryuu's stiff posture and wrapped my arms around him. "It's the day before my wedding," I said as he tried to resist. "That means everyone gets a hug, even prissy vampire advisors with steel spikes up their ass."

The room erupted in laughter.

The noise subsided, however, upon the entrance of my father. Everyone straightened and immediately bowed as he stepped into the room.

He waved a hand in dismissal. "No need for formality, we're all friends here." He grinned at me, the expression as goofy as usual, though my heart twisted because I knew that it was partly an act.

"Hey, Goat-chin," I said.

He opened his arms wide. "Hug for me, too?" He winked, obviously expecting me to deal him my signature knee-to-the-gut maneuver.

Instead, I threw my dignity to the wind and tackled him with a huge bear hug, cracking his ribs and burying my face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me just as tightly, pressing his face against my hair.

Everyone else began quietly exiting the room, giving us privacy. Yuzu ushered them out, and then closed the door behind Orihime and Ichigo as they walked in.

"Hey, guys," I said, smiling at them over my dad's shoulder. "In a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Karin, the ice princess of Karakura, is calling for a Crazy Kurosaki Kerblammy Group Hug."

Yuzu laughed and Orihime giggled, and Ichigo rolled his eyes and said, "Whoever in the nine hells named it that ought to be blasted by lightning." But they all drew close and joined us anyway, so we were a tangle of arms and elbows and knees, the comfortable jigsaw that made up a family.

* * *

We ate dinner that night, the last one we would have together as a family for a long time, probably years if I thought about it. We laughed and talked and reminisced, sharing embarrassing stories and telling jokes and making sarcastic comments. I fended off my father's attack on my barbecue, and Yuzu scolded Ichigo for not eating enough vegetables, and we all suggested crazy combinations for Orihime to try, and then blanched when she ate them all without flinching.

And afterwards, after Orihime gave me a pair of earrings her brother had given her—_They're diamonds see? So they shine as brightly as your dreams_.

After Ichigo handed me a poem he'd written about me—_Fierce mind, brave soul, a loving heart my sister has_.

After Yuzu wrapped a lovingly knitted scarf around my neck—_It gets colder in Seireitei…and I know you don't like perfume, but I sprayed it with mine so it smells a little like home_.

After my father placed a ring on my finger—_This was your mother's. Orihime has her wedding ring, and Yuzu will get her engagement ring, but this is the ring I gave her when I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. She would have wanted you to have it._

After that, when tears started dripping down my face and my chest was heaving with sobs, none of them said a word, but silently sat there and wept with me.

* * *

"Good night, Karin," Yuzu said, snuggled up in bed beside me. It had been years since we'd slept together like this, not since before the advent of our third decade. But tonight was an exception. Tonight was the last time she would ever have the chance to do this. So we curled up on our sides, back to back, fitting together as closely as we could.

"Goodnight, Yuzu," I replied, my eyes sliding shut.

"Sweet dreams," we said together.

Today I said my farewells. Tomorrow I would say my vows. And in the days ahead, I would leave all that I loved behind.

* * *

**Endnote: Okay, the wedding is in the NEXT CHAPTER. We promise! It's just…world-building and necessary characterization had to happen in this chapter, so we had to push the date back again (this chapter was nearly 10,000 words, people, take it as a consolation prize and please don't hurt us). But now plot REALLY starts happening! :D**

**Thank you for reading this chapter, and thank you to everyone who's reviewed/alerted/favorited this story and/or us. :D**

**Special thanks goes to the following people for reviewing the last chapter: Fan, Devilishduck, BeInfinitexx, Silverpearl2, D-Grayman-Fan, ael fyragh, hitsukarin4lyf, Twistedkorn, yinyang98, Kat, Eekhoorntjes, chiharuSAICHI, Furionknight, buon I qua,** **Hakkuchi, FlyingLikeAButterfly, Cecilia Haunt, Black Rose, MisplacedWit 7, and a Guest! ;) You guys make our day! :D (If we have forgotten you or spelled your name wrong, please tell us and we will correct the error immediately.)**

**Again, thank you very much, and please review!**


	8. Til Death Do Them Part

**Author Note: Hello, everyone! We're back! Welcome to the seventh installment of **_**Where Angels Fear to Tread**_**. We hope you enjoy it!**

**Normal = prose, **_**italics**_** = thoughts or inner conversations. **

**Warning: Though the main pairing is HitsuKarin, there will be mentions of IchiHime, RenRuki, JintaYuzu, and a whole bunch of other couples. In addition, there will be violence and death and lots and lots of blood. If you don't like, don't read. Thank you. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. However, if there was an alternate universe where I do own Bleach, I will promptly give my left arm to switch with my other self. :)**

* * *

**Chapter Eight: 'Til Death Do Them Part**

* * *

**+++Toushirou+++**

* * *

I woke to the dawn's weak light creeping in through the flaps of my tent, drowsy yet with sleep and feeling very comfortable in my bed. I nuzzled closer to my pillow, which smelled different—almost sweet, like vanilla and oranges, like—

My eyes snapped open.

_Oh._

It smelled like the girl who'd saved my life, who'd lain injured in this bed. It smelled like the warrior-mage who'd looked at me with distrusting eyes, who'd so easily changed her mind just because I'd made her laugh. It smelled like the vampire who'd stopped two elemental spells with nothing but her bare hands, who'd stopped a war with one exasperated punch.

It smelled like the woman I was marrying today.

I glowered at my pillows, mildly annoyed. I'd done the exact same thing yesterday, and though I knew logically that I'd have to get used to her scent in my bed, it was a reminder of the actual, tangible things that would change in my life. Things that I'd never really thought about, not until that chance encounter, when "the elder Kurosaki princess" had somehow transformed into "Karin," a girl with dark hair and dark eyes and a grin that made me want to grin back.

A girl who would leave behind everything she'd known to be the wife of a prince she barely knew.

I tossed aside my sheets, getting up to throw water on my face and scowl at my reflection in the mirror above the basin. I'd discovered that there was something to be said for our wedding customs after all—if I'd never met her, if I'd never seen her face before today, the way it was planned, I wouldn't be harboring these feelings of guilt over something I didn't even have any control over. The marriage had to happen, I knew that, she knew that, and we obviously both accepted it.

But still…

Yesterday, I'd gone through the traditional full-day vigil all grooms in Seireitei were supposed to complete—one last day to yourself, before you forever bound yourself to another person. The first part was mostly prayer, meditation, and then spending the afternoon receiving well-wishes and advice from friends. The second part, though, was spent preparing the chambers where you would spend the first night with your beloved. It was usually meant to be romantic, a way to show your wife how much she meant to you, how you would spend the rest of your life thinking not only of yourself, but of her.

I tried completing the task and nearly tore my hair out in frustration, because I realized I didn't know anything about her—not her favorite foods, not the side of the bed she slept on, not anything at all that could possibly make this transition easier for her.

I almost wished I could go back to being sullenly resentful of this marriage, convinced I was the sole martyr for the sake of my country, instead of one of two sacrificial lambs, both of us equally trapped.

I scowled at the wedding robes in the corner of my tent—they were black, the traditional Seireiteian wedding color, the Goddess of the Night's color. Karakurans, however, apparently wore white, the Death God's color, at weddings, and reserved black for funerals. Why that contradictory custom existed was beyond me, but Ayesegawa in particular had been pleased at the contrast that Lady K—that Karin and I would make, especially with our coloring.

"Your Highness?"

I looked up—speak of the demon, and he shall appear. "Come in, Ayesegawa," I said.

The Imperial Familiar entered my tent and bowed respectfully. "I'm here to assist you with your robes." His mouth quirked. "I know it's usually Matsumoto's job, and really, as your personal familiar, she ought to be doing it, especially today of all days. But she gets along best with Princess Orihime and Lady Yuzu, and we felt—"

"It's alright. I understand," I interrupted. I gestured towards the robes. "Well?"

A few minutes later and I was fully dressed, except for a few personal touches. I put on my crown—crafted from silver and diamonds—and reached for my sword.

Ayesegawa cleared his throat.

I rolled my eyes. "Don't worry. I'm not wearing a sword to my own wedding. I'm not that ignorant of tradition." One thing Seireitei and Karakura had in common was the belief that bringing weapons to the wedding invited strife in the marriage—not to mention wearing a sword in Karakura Castle was both an insult to their defenses and an act of aggression all in one.

Instead, I reached for the green silken sash that my scabbard hung on, smoothly removing it and wrapping it around my waist.

"Ah," Ayesegawa said, reaching out to smooth my robes one last time, his eyes on the sash. "I remember when your mother processed through the city on her wedding day, she wore a green scarf. I didn't realize this was the same one. Your father gave it to her, yes?"

I looked at him, surprised. "You remember that?"

He laughed. "I was barely out of toddlerhood at the time, but an Imperial wedding isn't an event you forget any time soon. And I think everyone's heard the story. How your mother fell in love with your father when he bandaged a wound of hers with the very tatters of his silken robe, and how she always wore that strip of cloth from that day forth."

I looked down, running my hand over the silk. "Yes. She did." Every single day, without fail, until the day she'd been killed.

If Ayesegawa noticed my sudden shift in mood, he didn't comment. "Are you ready?" he asked instead.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I replied.

He bowed and left, and I spent a few more minutes, preparing myself for the day ahead.

Could I really do this? Change not just my life, but the life of a girl with a striking smile and eyes like the moonless night, who surely deserved better for a husband than a boy who didn't even know her favorite color?

I spared one last glance in the mirror, saw my mother's eyes staring back at me from my own face, and remembered exactly why I would never see her again, remembered exactly what I swore by the Death God that I would do.

_Aizen, I swear that I will kill you._

I'd already made one irrevocable vow. What was one more?

For my mother's sake, for Momo's sake, for the sake of everyone I loved, I would do anything, even this.

My resolve set, I strode from my tent, ready to meet my fate.

* * *

**+++Karin+++**

* * *

"You can't wear a sword to your own wedding," Yuzu said, exasperated.

"Why not?" I replied mulishly.

She placed her hands on her hips and glared at me. "Because it's bad luck."

I scoffed. "I don't believe in luck, good or bad—we make our own."

"Yeah? Well, if you don't take off that sword, I'll show you how much bad luck I can make for you," Yuzu said, her eyes narrowing threateningly.

The sword came off.

Yuzu smoothed nonexistent wrinkles from the shoulders of my dress as Orihime fiddled with the train and Nel got my veil ready. Each of them wore a dress of deep, bold red, the color of blood and life and vampiric power, though Orihime's was of a slightly brighter hue to signify her status as a Vaizard. Each of them also wore small, tight smiles that did little to hide their tension.

In her chair by the door, Natsuko sat fidgeting. She wore the light yellow robes signifying her status as a young witch in the coven—as she grew older and more powerful, the color would darken accordingly. The stole around her shoulders, black as the Night and recently acquired, showed that despite her youth she was still a priestess of the Goddess. At the moment, however, her normally calm demeanor was shaken, and she kept a tight grip on my bouquet. I could sense her nervously infusing power into the knots she was tying into the ribbon, turning the cloth into an increasingly complex charm as the minutes went by.

Izumi was standing near the window. The scarf she wore to obscure her features was a deep blue, the werewolves' color, and marked with Clan Kuroda's symbols. She was holding a copper lamp, a concession to Seireiteian wedding customs—apparently the first member of the bride's entourage was supposed to hold one and "light the way" of the procession, according to Yuzu.

Ururu, sitting cross-legged on the bed, held the white cloth that was our wedding custom, meant to bind husband and wife during the ceremony. The fabric rippled through her hands like a living thing, the only sign that even she wasn't as unaffected as her placid expression might suggest.

Tatsuki, actually clad in a dress for once—black, of course, since Ichigo's Guard always wore black—leaned against the door and absentmindedly played with a knife. Her eyes kept straying to the clock on the wall, and after a few more minutes of fussing, she finally said, "We're gonna be late if you keep her any longer."

Yuzu's hands tightened involuntarily on mine, and her eyes swept over me to look for a flaw, any flaw in my appearance to justify keeping me for a few more seconds. "Wait, I think we should—"

I shook my head. "It's time, Yuzu." I reached out to take the veil from Nel's hands and draped it over the lower half of my face, covering everything from my nose down. I made sure it was secure before picking up the white gold circlet studded with alternating rubies, yellow diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires.

I placed it upon my head, completing the picture of a Karakuran bride of the Royal Family. Red for vampires, yellow for the witches, green for the humans, sapphires for the werewolves, and white in honor of the Death God who bound us all together.

I looked solemnly into my own eyes in the mirror. They were my father's eyes, pitch-black and slightly tilted—my uncle's and paternal grandfather's, too. The Kurosaki eyes, my mother used to tell me, had always been made for laughing, especially in the face of danger.

Taking a deep breath, I turned to face my sisters, my friends, my family. "So," I said, deliberately putting a hint of laughter in my voice, "are we ready to get this circus started, or did you just put me through three hours of torture for kicks and giggles?"

Everyone cracked a grin at my words, though Orihime and Yuzu's looked more than a little teary. Grabbing both their hands, I nodded to Tatsuki, who bowed and opened the door, and the three of us walked through it together, the rest of my entourage right behind us.

I walked off to meet my destiny with my friends at my back and my sisters at my side, fierce and proud and with my head held high, secure in the knowledge that I would never, ever got to battle alone.

_Seireitei, here I come_, I thought.

* * *

**+++Toushirou+++**

* * *

Karasu's temple to the Goddess of the Night was a grand but surprisingly welcoming building, though apparently it paled in comparison to the Great Temple located in the witches' lands, one of the helpful, elderly priestesses was telling me and my wedding party, which consisted of Hisagi, Madarame, and Prince Ichigo and the male members of his Guard. Matsumoto, Rukia, and Ayesegawa were also accompanying us as we walked through the side passages of the building, detouring through the mass of people currently packed into the pews.

"Can't be helped, of course, considering that it's only a third of the size. Still, I think it's pretty enough, especially what with all the flowers and stuff," Granny Chizuru, as Priestess Yoshida insisted we call her, said. "Whoever thought of the daisies was a genius."

Matsumoto beamed. "Lady Rukia and I suggested it—Princess Orihime was thinking of using just white roses, since that is the official flower of Seireitei, but daisies—"

"Are Karin's favorite flower, yes," Granny Chizuru interrupted. "It was really nice of you to think of that. Thank you, young lady."

Matsumoto blinked, but managed to cover her surprise well. "You're welcome, Granny Chizuru."

Prince Ichigo muttered something in a disgruntled tone, and Granny Chizuru whirled around and banged her staff against his chin. "No complaining! It's your sister's wedding day—the least you could do is try and not be an idiot." She gestured at me. "This young man here looks like he'll make a decent Mr. Kurosaki, so you shouldn't even be complaining that much!"

Rukia furrowed her brows. "Mr. Kurosaki?"

Granny Chizuru smacked her forehead. "Oh, right! I forget that everybody else is, uh, what's the word, Ayane?" She turned to her companion, the thus far silent Priestess Yano.

"They're patrilineal," she replied.

"Yeah, that's the word," Granny Chizuru said. "Weird if you ask me."

"So…Karakurans are matrilineal?" Madarame asked, looking confused.

Rukia sighed. Apparently her diplomatic lessons had been ignored by the more battle-focused lieutenant. "No, Madarame, it's just the witches."

"Oh." He looked more closely at Granny Chizuru. "I didn't realize you were a witch."

She waved a hand. "S'alright. It's kind of rude to be constantly reading everybody's aura."

"Yes," Priestess Yano said, shooting a very pointed look at Ichigo and his Guard, who'd been extremely tense all morning. She casually reached over and tied a complicated knot in the sash around Ichigo's waist. "There. That ought to stop you from causing any trouble." She raised a pointed brow at the other boys, and beckoned them to come closer. "That goes for you, too."

Renji, the turned vampire, groaned. "Oh, come on, Granny, we don't need a blocking charm."

Rukia made an interested noise. "Oh! A blocking charm! Most of the few witches in Seireitei aren't capable of making one so quickly," she said, impressed.

Priestess Yano shrugged. "It's mostly age and practice, and it's not like that flimsy thing would hold him back if he _really_ wanted to attack." She leveled her gaze at me, a silent threat, then looked away. "We're nearly to the front, now, so be ready."

"What's with that, anyway?" Granny Chizuru asked. "The girl walks down the aisle to the boy? That's so weird."

Priestess Yano frowned. "Chizu, I know you've been to vampire and human weddings before. It's not unfamiliar to you."

"Well, yeah, but that doesn't make it any less weird." She turned to face us, walking backwards easily. "For witches, the boy makes his way to the girl, bringing a gift. The werewolves get to the celebration together, running hand in hand. What I don't get is why vampires and humans make the girl do all the work."

"They could be teaching the boy patience," Yano said dryly.

"Oh! I see!"

Rukia looked absolutely fascinated at their conversation, and I couldn't help but grin a little at her enthusiasm. It was nice to see someone enjoying herself.

Eventually, we reached the front of the temple.

Priestess Yano introduced us to former High Priestess Sawako Kuronuma, the leader of the Witches' Coven, who was currently performing a few last blessings—on us, on the thousands of people gathered here, on the altar itself. Then she introduced us to the man who will be performing the ceremony, a tall man dressed in flamboyant robes, who was apparently Karin's favorite priest.

Don Kanonji solemnly shook our hands, then insisted we all do a strange little pose "to relax us before the wedding."

Rukia in particular took to it, though everyone but Ichigo eagerly joined in on the Karakurans' part. Shrugging, I did the same, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw the whole crowd stand up and join us, laughing.

"Karakurans," Madarame muttered.

"I think it's cute. Crazy, but cute," Hisagi said.

Soon afterwards, Priestess Sawako was gently guiding me over to stand to the left side of the altar, and has me face the door. She signaled Granny Chizuru to lead Rukia, Matsumoto, and Ayesegawa to their seats, while Priestess Yano prodded Ichigo and the others to fall in line behind me. Once they had everyone arranged to their satisfaction, the three witches left and went to sit with the rest of their coven.

"Toushirou," Ichigo said as soon as they were out of earshot.

"I don't recall giving you permission to use my first name," I said, not glancing at him.

Still, I could practically feel his glare burning a hole into the back of my head. "Look," he continued, "I just wanted to say that Karin is one of the strongest people I know, but if you ever hurt her—"

"—we'll burn your country to the ground," the younger Ishida finishes.

"Ah, ah, please, no violence, Lord Madarame, Lord Hisagi. We are merely stating facts, not issuing threats," Kojima, the human familiar—or well, not familiar, he was a noble in his own right and simply descended from familiars—said in response to Hisagi's hiss and Madarame's snarl.

"Doesn't sound like it to me," Madarame growls.

"Well, either way, it is five minutes before the start of a wedding to ensure the alliance of our two countries, so you wouldn't want to do anything drastic, yes?" Kojima said cheerfully.

"It's fine," I said curtly, and sensed Madarame and Hisagi's auras subside. "still, the timing is a little off, isn't it?"

Chad, the werewolves' Clan-Lord, though apparently the werewolves themselves preferred to address him as "Alpha," said, "This is the only time we can speak with you in relative privacy."

"We're standing in front of half your capital city, and you think this is private?" I said, incredulous.

Asano, seemingly the weakest and least threatening of the bunch, pointed out, "Hey, your First Battalion is over there, with the werewolves sitting behind them and the Vaizards on the other side of the aisle. And nobody can really hear anything right now anyway, so who cares if we threaten—oww, don't step on me, Mizuiro!—ahem, if we 'familiarize you with the facts.' After this, you and Karin are gonna be tied together at the wrists, literally, and our girl hates it when we go all protective on her."

I opened my mouth to angrily reply that my wife would need no protection from me when Madarame said, "Wait, tied together? What's this about? You're going to tie His Imperial Highness up?"

"Wedding custom," Hisagi explained. "Night, you were really zoned out when Hiruzen was giving us the rundown on the culture, huh?"

"They tie people up when they get married?" Madarame repeated. "Goddess, that's barbaric."

"Well, you wear black to weddings!" Asano said petulantly. "_That's_ barbaric, and disrespectful to boot!"

"You wear white! That's worse! That's the color of the Death God!"

"Who's _married _to the Goddess!"

"Doesn't mean he ought to get invited to freaking weddings!"

"Why, you blasphemous snob!"

"Shut up."

All of us turned to blink at Lady Yoruichi Shihoin, who'd appeared seemingly out of nowhere and was now casually leaning against the altar. "Behave, boys," she said. "We want to end a war, not start it. And all of us had better get used to the differences between us to even have a chance of making this alliance work, so no more arguing."

"Aunt—" Ichigo began.

"I know," she said. "I know. Her wedding day wasn't supposed to be like this. But it is, and we deal with the hand we're dealt. Now, all of you pull yourselves together, or I'll rip out your guts and feed them to the crows."

She sauntered off, her speech concluded.

Madarame wolf-whistled. "Now, that's how you issue a threat."

The others apparently agreed, because the fighting stopped and we all settled down as the music started.

It was time.

* * *

**+++Karin+++**

* * *

It was time.

"Are you ready, Dad?" I said quietly, my arm cradled in his as we waited in the back of the temple.

Izumi had already strode down the aisle, holding the lit lamp aloft as soon as the music had begun. Tatsuki had followed her, then Ururu, Natsuko, Nel, Orihime, and then finally Yuzu, who stopped at the doorway to shoot me one last smile and wink.

He laughed, the sound teary. "No, and believe me, I've been preparing myself for this day since you were born. It hasn't worked, obviously."

I smiled at my feet and fiddled with the daisies in my hand before I turned, rose on my toes, and placed a kiss on his cheek. "It's alright, Dad. I'm going to be alright."

"Are you sure? Karin, if you don't want this—"

"—I'd still go through with it anyway," I said firmly. "We need this. Besides, I'm not the only one sacrificing here. Toushirou is, too—he's letting some strange girl be the future mother of his children, sit beside him as empress. It's time I met him halfway."

"I'm sorry," my father said. "You'll never know how sorry I am…"

I shook my head. "Don't be. You have nothing to be sorry about. You're the greatest dad who ever lived." I smiled crookedly. "Besides, you should be happy—you'll finally get those raven-haired grandchildren you always dreamed of. Kurosaki genes ought to trump Hitsugaya ones."

My father grinned, his pitch-black eyes finally lighting again. "That's true," he said. "There's always that to look forward to."

And, with one last kiss pressed to my forehead, we walked down the aisle together.

* * *

**+++Toushirou+++**

* * *

"Bloody moon," Madarame said. "Would you take a look at that?"

I said nothing in return, though I wasn't sure that would have even been possible, considering the sight before us.

Karin walked toward me, head held as high as any queen's—white dress, dark hair, pale skin. Ayesegawa had been right: the contrast was stunning.

"That's our girl," Ishida said with quiet pride.

Behind me, I could hear Ichigo swallow.

She and her father eventually reached the front, and I walked down the steps to meet her, hand outstretched. King Isshin, his solemn expression at odds with his people's fond description of his normal demeanor, let go of her reluctantly and stepped away.

She came forward to meet me, her palm sliding smoothly over mine. Her eyes met my gaze over the veil, straightforward and unafraid, and from that point on never looked away.

She held my gaze as her twin, a pretty, slight blonde, came forward to take the flowers—white and yellow daisies—from her hands.

As Don Kanonji began the ceremony, his deep voice reciting the words that would bind us together.

As I said my vows, the words formal and familiar, Seireiteian through and through: "With my hands, I thee hold fast. With my fangs, I thee protect. With my body, I thee worship. With my eyes, I thee reflect. With my heart, I thee adore, always, for now and ever more."

As the First Battalion said the scripted reply as witnesses: "With our eyes, we see. With our ears, we hear. With our hearts, we hold thee to thy words."

As she said her own vows, the words fierce and possessive: "By the light of the stars, I declare you mine, in sickness and in health. By the dark of the night, I claim you for my own, in times of bounty and in times of loss. By the shadows of the moon, I give myself to you, for better and for worse. By the fires of the sun, I swear that I am yours, from this moment on, until death do us part. By the name of the Dark Goddess, by the name of the Burning God, I promise this by all that I am and all that I would be.

As her own people replied, "So mote it be."

As she took the ceremonial knife in hand and sliced a clean, thin cut across her forearm.

As I did the same, the actions well-known, one of the few traditions both our countries shared, and took her hand in mine and pressed our wounds together, blood meeting blood, strength meeting strength, life meeting life.

As her priest tied our other hands together, binding us for one night as we had now been bound for life.

As he declared us husband and wife, the words met with an uncertain, somber silence.

The only time during the entire ceremony that her dark, steady stare had stopped was when she shut her eyes and leant forward, pressing cool, closed lips to mine.

And it was done.

Karin Kurosaki, First Mage of the Night, Second Heir to the Throne, and Princess of Karakura was no more.

In her place stood Crown Princess Karin Hitsugaya, Heir to the Summer Throne, future Lady of the Eastern Realms, and Empress-to-be of Seireitei.

My wife.

* * *

**Endnote: WOOHOO! We promised you a wedding, and a wedding has been delivered! Wow, they're finally married after eight chapters. Yay! Alright, we're finally moving from Karakura to Seireitei, where stuff REALLY starts going down. But first, we have to get through…DUN-DUN-DUN…the wedding **_**night**_**. Wish us luck, people! :D**

**In additional notes, for anyone who was curious, in the last chapter, Sawako, Chizuru, and Ayane are indeed the main characters from **_**Kimi ni Todoke**_**, and Jun and Riko are named after (though not exact expies of) the characters in **_**Kuroko no Basuke**_**. Yamabuki Keikain, the author of the book Ulquiorra gave Karin, is an amalgamated name referring to Yamabuki Otome and Yura Keikain of **_**Nurarihyon no Mago**_**. Kudos to anyone who caught those references—and no, we don't own any of the above works or characters either. ;)**

**As for the wedding vows, bits and pieces were taken from traditional wedding vows and given a slant that would fit into the world of WAFT. We hope it and the other wedding traditions worked for you. :) **

**Thank you for reading this chapter, and thank you to everyone who's reviewed/alerted/favorited this story and/or us. :D**

**Special thanks goes to the following people for reviewing the last chapter:** **Twistedkorn, IStoleDaCake, SakiXX, BeInfinitexx, dyingbreed003, Furionknight, Kendran, Alexandria Nightingale, and a Guest! ;) You guys make our day! :D (If we have forgotten you or spelled your name wrong, please tell us and we will correct the error immediately.)**

**Again, thank you very much, and please review!**


End file.
